


Promise Ribbons

by AnonymousJayster



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, CheckMate - Freeform, Checkmating - Freeform, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, Fainting, Fluff, Following the Main Storyline, Light Angst, Mainly Team RWBY Focus, Mild Sexual Content, Monochrome - Freeform, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Panic Attacks, Platonic Cuddling, RWBY-Grade Blood and Violence, Retelling, Ribbons, Romance, Swearing, Team Bonding, The Freezerburn is Platonic I Promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-05-01 06:30:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 86,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14514537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonymousJayster/pseuds/AnonymousJayster
Summary: "I just want to remind her, she has people who care..." Monochrome/Checkmating





	1. The Stray

**Author's Note:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Thank you, WeissColdGlare, for helping me expand this idea into something more.**

**Feel free to leave comments and reviews. Note that this fic is also posted on Fanfiction.net.**

**Chapter 1: Starts near the end of Volume 1, Episode 15, 'The Stray'**

* * *

"WELL, MAYBE WE WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!"

A moment passed before Blake realized what she had just said, helped by Weiss not responding. Or rather, responding by taking a step back. And a few more.

Weiss's mouth fell open but no words came out. Her mind had worked faster than Blake's but that didn't mean she knew what to say. It did go without saying, however, that she hadn't been expecting Blake to say THAT.

_But… but that can't… I mean, she isn't… but…_

"I-"

The single letter pulled Weiss from her turbulent mind, spoken from the…

… _what WAS she?_

Her mind would have slipped back into the same loop it had just escaped from had the black-haired girl not bolted from the room. Ruby tried to run after her, forgetting about her semblance of speed in the shock of the moment. "Blake!" Ruby cried out, her voice breaking under her own mixed feelings of confusion and sadness over her teammate's state. "Wait! Come back!"

She barely got out her last word when Weiss push past her, sprinting down the corridor. "BLAKE?!" She yelled. Or rather, she croaked out. It was an odd tone, one of a girl whose mind was still back in her dorm room, trying to restart its gears after being knocked out by Blake's statement. She stopped at the end of the hallway, where the path split in two different directions.

One look to the left. Another look to the right.

There was no sign of the other girl down either hall.

Weiss looked down at her feet. Bile began to build up in her throat. She hadn't noticed how sick she felt until she had come to a complete stop. The sentence kept ringing in her head, then words from the argument before, then words from her first day at Beacon. There was a thunderous pounding near the crown of her head. She took in a shaky breath.

She felt like she was going to cry.

* * *

 Sunlight stirred Ruby from her slumber. She yawned loudly and glanced over to the other set of beds in her dorm room, hoping beyond reason that the bottom bunk would contain her missing teammate, only to be sobered by its empty sheets. She let out a miserable sigh and pushed herself off of her suspended bed, landing feet first on the hard floor with a thud. "Yang. Get up. We gotta look for Blake."

Yang pushed her covers off her head and sat up, turning to look down at her younger sister. What she saw gave her an idea of what she likely looked like: A look filled with guilt, sadness and regret. She sighed in an attempt to push these feelings down and work up the drive to get out of bed. "Yeah," the blonde brawler responded solemnly.

As Yang herself got down from her top bunk, Ruby turned around, ready to relay the same message to her partner.

She had not been ready to meet the sight that greeted her.

Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, often stabbing an ice-cold glare into anyone who dared disturb her beauty sleep, was lying on top of her sheets in the exact same clothes she had donned the day before, staring off at the door opposite their beds. Her hair was tattered, likely from restless turning in her bed. Her eyes lacked their usual harsh yet passionate shine and were accented by bags Ruby had only ever seen when Weiss stayed up late studying for a test she would most definitely ace even without the extra work. She looked like she hadn't even slept that night, though Ruby knew she would have at least sobbed herself to sleep in exhaustion at some point since she herself had been able to fall asleep as well.

"W-Weiss?" Ruby forced out, not really sure if talking to this motionless body would actually elicit a response. Yang took a glance as well, confused by this imitation of Beacon's resident Ice Queen.

After a few seconds of silence, during which Ruby's mind raced to extremes from the lack of reply, Weiss slowly turned her head to give her leader a look that almost shattered the heart of the silver-eyed girl. "Yeah?" she practically whispered.

Ruby somehow managed to compose herself at the sight and managed to get out her order. "Come on. We… we have to go into Vale and look for Blake."

_Blake_. Weiss's eyes returned to the door. That name made Weiss feel something in her chest. It kind of hurt, but she couldn't really pinpoint what the emotion was. She'd gone over what it might be for a good portion of the night, but nothing seemed to appropriately fit. It wasn't anger. It wasn't sadness. It wasn't betrayal. There wasn't much else it couldn't be, right?

Closing her eyes and letting out a sigh of resignation, Weiss managed to bring herself to her feet and walked into the dorm's bathroom, hoping to at least distract herself with some daily routines, even if it was only for a moment.

* * *

**Okay, so that was kind of depressing… Don't worry though; next chapter will be happy (but also depressing first.)**


	2. Black and White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 1, Chapter 16, 'Black and White'**

* * *

 

"BLAAAKE?!"

"BLAAAKE?!"

"BLAAAKE?! WHERE ARE YOOOUUU?"

"BLAKE!"

Ruby and Yang alternated their shouting through the streets of Vale, earning confused looks from other pedestrians. Weiss followed a few steps behind them, her expression unreadable yet masking her still-turbulent thoughts.

"Weiss, you're not helping!"

The heiress snapped to attention. Ruby was looking at her with a look mixed with annoyance and concern. She had felt sorry for Weiss this morning but they were three hours into their search and Weiss hadn't even done so much as LOOK interested in finding their missing teammate.

Weiss shook her head, trying to get her thoughts straight. "Oh! You know who might be able to help?" She managed, "The police."

Ruby couldn't help but groan. "Ugh, Weiss…" She hissed.

"It was just an idea." The genuine and nearly-apologetic emphasis underlying her words cut off any reply her team leader may have had.  _Admittedly, one that sounded better in my head…_

Weiss truly wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation; on one hand, the police WOULD be useful if they were going to find a missing person. On the other hand, it would be bad if…

_Would it, though? We still don't know if she can be trusted._

She may have had a long night of thinking behind her, but that didn't mean Weiss was any closer to reaching a conclusion on her thoughts on Blake than she had been in the moments after said girl had ran out of the dorms. She was still conflicted with what she should be feeling after learning that Blake was associated with the terrorist group that had plagued her family since the earliest memories of her childhood.

_Not that that stopped me from trying to chase her down._

Weiss sighed to herself. The look on Blake's face in the last moments she could recall seemed eerily familiar. Almost like… she was looking in a mirror.  _Was it really because I felt sorry for her or…_  Once again, the white-haired fencer drifted off into ambiguous thought, trying to answer a paradox she had little hope of solving without more information.

 _Maybe if we just ask the girl herself_ …

Weiss looked up at the large mass of blonde hair in front of her.  _Might as well start with the closest alternative…_ "Yang, you're her partner. What… well, what do you make of all... this?" For some reason, she couldn't think of the right way to put her thoughts into words; though, if she had to guess, it was due to her thoughts' lack of… of…

Yet again, for the latest of who knows how many times, Weiss almost slipped back into her mind's confusion when Yang finally managed to answer her question, "I-I think we should at least hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions."

"I… I think…" Weiss's words got caught in her throat.

_I think you might be rig-_

"WELL,  _I_  THINK WEISS'S HAIR LOOKS  _WONDERFUL_  TODAY!"

The trio spun around at the sudden, disconnected comment. The quirky girl who they had run into yesterday was following right behind them.

"Agh! Penny! Where did you come from?!" Ruby's voice was edged with shock from the unexpected interruption and frustration from her own fatigue.

"Hey guys. What are you up to?" Penny didn't even seem to hear the question aimed at her.

Ruby started to wrestle with the idea that latching onto this odd girl yesterday had been a sound plan. "Uuuhhhhh…" was all she could manage.

"We're looking for our friend Blake." Yang covered for her sister.

"Oooh! You mean the Faunus girl."

…

Team RWY's initial reply was a collective blinking of eyes. "Wait. How did you know that?" Ruby asked, still slightly reeling from Penny's insight.

Penny gestured to the pink ribbon atop her own head. "Uh, the cat ears?" She replied, as though it were the easiest question in the world.

"What cat ears?" Yang voiced her disbelief, "She wears a… bow…"

…

…

…

In this extended moment of silence, a tumbleweed had the audacity to pass down the sidewalk from seemingly nowhere.

Weiss heard Ruby whisper something about tuna, but she didn't bother listening. Despite knowing that Blake was associated with the White Fang, she somehow hadn't entertained the possibility that Blake herself was, in fact, a Faunus.

It all pieced together. The holes in Weiss's logic were quickly filled.  _THAT was why she had been so defensive of the monkey boy yesterday! Why she had fought back against everything I had said, even when it wasn't about the White Fang. Actually, why did I even think a human would have joined the White Fang in the first place?_

A new kind of feeling boiled in Weiss's stomach: Anger.

_You mean to tell me that I've been living under the same roof as a… And she didn't even have to decency to tell us this? The girl that's been… that…_

And just as quickly as it had risen up, the rage subdued.

… _that cheered for me on during my first fight in class. That had fought alongside me since our first outing in the Emerald Forest. That… spent every night at the academy sleeping only a couple of feet from me and never once took advantage of that._

Though her mind once again descended into disarray, a familiar feeling made itself distinct within her:

Shame.

She jolted back to reality, having missed an unknown amount of the conversation going on around her, when the redhead that had suddenly tagged along let out a small gasp and walked right through Weiss's field of view, grabbing her team leader. "That's terrible! Well, don't you worry Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammate."

 _Rest._  Weiss was suddenly hit with a renewed wave of fatigue that she somehow managed to suppress. She quickly decided that putting as much space between herself and this… strange young lady as possible would likely do wonders for her mental capacity. Assuming, for once, that having just Yang around would be preferable to having TWO likely inseparable goofballs in her range of hearing, she pulled the blonde (who willing obliged her actions) into the nearest shop to get a head-start on their search before the mentioned two realized they were gone.

The sun was already setting by the time they reached the last of several shops they had planned to check that day. It was becoming harder and harder to stop exhaustion from overtaking her. Combined with the mental battle still raging in her head, Weiss had to lean on a wall while Yang left the shop behind her, thanking the shopkeeper for their time despite the lack of useful information they had provided before letting out a scoff and a pessimistic "This is hopeless."

Weiss was inclined to agree.  _For all we know, she could've taken a ship to another continent last night._

"You really don't care if we find her, do you?"

That comment hit something in her mind. Even though she knew that Yang's comment came from her own concern over Blake's wellbeing, Weiss wasn't willing to let the brawler put words in her mouth.

"Don't be stupid," she practically snarled back, frustration winning out over manners, "Of course I do. I'm just…"  _Afraid of what she'll say when we find her._  They knew nothing about the past of their Faunus 'friend' and Weiss's mind had moved onto the argument over whether they should be willing to look past what it held in store for them.

Yang didn't look convinced, but also didn't produce a counterargument, instead opting to look down at her feet and grimace.

The heiress felt another pang of guilt, this time for snapping at her teammate. Especially since she knew that Yang was going through the same kind of pain that she was. In fact, since she was Blake's partner, it was probably even worse.

Deciding that they had done enough searching for the day and resigning her mind to bed before they even got back to the dorms, Weiss was about to voice her thoughts about ending the search for the day when her blood ran cold. Both girls turned towards a loud sound coming from the city's port.

A huge explosion, followed by _…_

 _Gunshots_.

In spite of the fact that they were still technically huntresses-in-training, Weiss took off with a glyph under her towards the docks with Yang sprinting after her, letting out several blasts from her gauntlets to try and keep pace with her teammate.

Both had heard, amongst other conventional weaponry and what seemed to be a rapid-fire shotgun, the sound of a disturbing familiar pistol.

Blake took yet another hit from Torchwick's cane, flying back onto the ground and landing on her back. She had heard of his abilities from her team leader's description of the fight that had gotten the younger teenager into Beacon, but she hadn't been expecting him to put up THIS much of a fight. Off to the side, Sun was busy fighting off another wave of White Fang members, doing quite well with his staff despite being considerably outnumbered.

The redheaded criminal smirked before firing another shot from his cane into the air. Blake noticed, far too late, that he had fired it at a cargo container hanging straight above her. Propping herself up on her elbows, she tried to throw herself out of the way with her shadow clones, but a mixture of pain and exhaustion caused it to fail. She barely heard Sun's shout as she braced herself, eyes snapping shut and gritting her teeth, hoping that her aura might be tough enough to keep her from being crushed.

***TWANG* *THUD***

Blake couldn't help but jolt from the sudden noise and rumble, before slowly opened her eyes when she realized she couldn't feel a massive weight on top of her. Looking off to her side, she saw the container, several feet away from her. Confused, she looked up, only for her eyes to widen even further from what she saw.

An enormous white circle, containing the Schnee Dust Company's logo, was spinning right above her.

Before her mind could catch up on what had just happened, Blake heard a grunt from Torchwick as a white figure came between herself and the aforementioned criminal before launching itself at him. This was followed by a recognizable sound of flowing dust and the movement of metal followed by several shotgun-like blasts. Then, a growl from the criminal 'mastermind' and another loud explosion, which Blake just managed to shield her face from. When the smoke settled, three airships were soaring off into the sky and Torchwick was nowhere to be found.

When Blake looked back at her saviors, she knew exactly what she expected to see; that didn't make it any less shocking.

Weiss was standing with her back to her and her hands on her knees, likely gasping for breath. Yang was standing to the girl's right side, an arm on her shoulder. Blake's partner took a look over her shoulder, her eyes showing a strange mix of relief and concern.

"BLAKE!"

The girl in question turned her head towards the sound, her exposed feline ears twisting and twitching as the ringing from the explosion began to fade. Her red-cloaked leader was running towards the group, Penny following right behind her. Sun was dusting himself off and checking himself for wounds, his assailants having disappeared in the confusion.

Blake managed to pick herself up from the ground when she froze. Weiss had turned around and was giving her what definitely seemed like a glare. Suddenly, she started walking straight towards her black-haired teammate. Blake winced internally for the likely punch that was coming, not daring to move.

She felt her body shake as the expected contact was made…

…only for her eyes to fly open once again when she realized Weiss had thrown her arms around her.

Blake didn't know how to respond, but decided to return the hug, hoping it wouldn't anger the girl who likely had every reason to NOT be hugging her right now. Feeling Weiss's full weight against her, she lowered the both of them until their knees were on the ground. Her ears laid flat against her head with sorrow. "Weiss. I want to you know… that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with-"

"Stop."

Weiss cut off her words even before she could put the rest of them together. The ears on top of her head shot up.

"Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you?"

Blake didn't know how to respond to this. She didn't even bother opening her mouth. Her amber eyes didn't move from the back of the heiress's head, having widened as much as she possibly could in disbelief over what she was hearing. "Twelve hours." Weiss said simply, "So I've had twelve hours to let my anger burn out."

Blake simply couldn't find her voice.  _I-is she… trying to apologize? To ME?_

Ruby reached the group and stood next to Yang, her silver eyes glazed and relief radiating off of her from the sight she saw. Her two teammates that had been the root of this whole search were embracing each other and it washed away any residual pain she had felt since the previous night.

Weiss was exhausted and her vision was blurry but she managed to at least keep her voice above a whisper. "I don't need to know anything other than that you aren't a part of them anymore. I've heard enough to know that I can trust you. Because you're my friend."

Yang managed to wrap her arm around her young sister, who responded by reaching up to hold onto it and smiling. Sun and Penny should off to the side, both smiling and observing the situation but making sure not to interrupt it.

Blake's mind had almost gone blank. She thought that, if she ever saw Weiss again, she would be on the end of a long string of insults and curses, having already admitted to being a member of the organization that had ruined the girl's childhood and likely killed close members of her family. Instead, here she was, wrapped in Weiss's arms and being assured of their bond after simply explaining that she was no longer a member of the group.

Blake looked over at her team leader and her partner. Both of them looked like they were going to start crying in spite of the huge smiles on their faces. She looked back at Weiss's hair when the girl started again, "Just… Please promise me that you'll come talk to us the next time something like this happens. I will- I'll make sure to treat you exactly how you deserve to. As a person. I swear."

Blake couldn't take it anymore. She felt like Weiss shouldn't been giving her this kind of faith, yet… Tears came streaming down her face and she buried her face in the mass of white hair next to her. "Of course." She somehow managed to sob out.

Yang released her little sister and helped Blake bring the heiress to her feet, in spite of her own fatigue. Walking over to the rest of her team, Ruby finally managed to speak up, "Well, uh, I think we've all earned a good night's rest, don't you think?" She asked, looking towards her Faunus teammate.

Blake managed to wipe away a tear and grinned. "That sounds nice," she replied hoarsely, turning her head towards Weiss.

Yang also looked up at her sister and nodded. She shook Weiss a little to make sure she was still awake before asking, "What do you think, princess?"

For the first time since yesterday, Weiss smiled.

"Yeah."

* * *

 

**Yay! Everything's okay! Blake's back! World Peace! Now that I've set up the premise, I can finally get to the point of this fanfic.**

**Sorry for anyone who was expecting an awesome scene from Penny. I felt like solving this scene in the way I wanted to required Weiss (and Yang) coming in to save the day. Plus, I believe Penny's amazing weaponry was originally supposed to be revealed AFTER her robotic reveal, so just imagine it occurred at another point in the series. You know, while she's still *SPOILERS***

**Edit: I removed a note that was in the middle of the story, as per an FFN user's request because they were right, it did interfere with the flow and didn't add as much as I thought it would. Oh well, carry on folks!**


	3. White and Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**This chapter is not actually based on an episode, but rather is supposed to be between Volume 1 and Volume 2. Non-canon Episode 1: White and Black**

* * *

 

In an attempt to prevent any unintentional fallout and to help rebuild their friendship, Ruby, as team leader, managed to arrange (well, more like force) Blake and Weiss to do several… 'bonding exercises' together over the coming weeks. Right now, the monochromatic duo was going through one of them: brushing each other's hair.

Blake was kneeling on top of her bed's sheets, ears unbound and sitting up with her eyes closed. Weiss was kneeling behind her, her hair having already been completed previously and tied in its usual ponytail, running a large brush through the length of the Faunus's hair.

Careful not to tug, the heiress managed to calm herself from her initial concerns that she might hurt the other girl, though she still worried that her own technique might end up removing the wavy pattern of Blake's signature hairstyle.

Things had been going relatively smoothly _…_

_…_ at least, until Weiss realized that her teammate was purring.

This almost caused her to panic, but she managed to restraint herself and tried to ignore it, worried that mentioning it would only make things more awkward than she already felt they were. Or that she might offend Blake.

"Weiss, you need to get the top of my head as well."

The girl in question jolted. "Uh…" She slowly drew her blue eyes up towards the top of Blake's head, the feline ears lightly flicking every now and then.

"It's fine. You can touch them."

This, combined with the slight vibration in her tone, caused Weiss to break out into a blush.  _That's… but… that gesture's kind of…_ She shook her head. Her mind still reeling, she couldn't really tell if that had been a suggestion or an  _order_.

_Well, if she says it's alright…_

_But…_

"Weiss, is something wrong?"

Blake had turned her head to the side and threw a look over her shoulder, managing to hide her mischievous smirk but not the teasing glint in her amber eyes. When Weiss saw this, she huffed. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just- Are you sure?" she asked, genuinely hoping that the other girl would change her mind and save her the embarrassment.

"Of course. Like I said, it's fine. Just be gentle."

Weiss remained silent, looking down. Blake's head returned forwards to hide the amused look on her face. She knew that Weiss still wasn't completely used to her Faunus ears yet, but the embarrassment that it caused the shorter girl was nothing if not entertaining.

It also served to show her that Weiss didn't think negatively of her.

Weiss's gaze returned to the black ears. She hadn't realized that her heartbeat had picked up so much until then. She was glad to see Blake putting so much trust in her, but… She couldn't put it into words. It just seemed so… well…

_Intimate._

Weiss shook her head harder this time.  _No. If Blake says it's okay, then it's okay._  Putting the hairbrush down on the bed next to her, she started to bring a hand up towards the crown of her teammate's head. She paused for a moment, briefly reconsidering if she should  _really_  be doing this before deciding to stop hesitating and took Blake's left cat ear between two fingers, rubbing it lightly.

The Faunus bristled and her purring immediately stopped, which caused Weiss to tense up and almost let go. "I'm sorry! Did I do it wrong? Are you okay?" She asked, her voice laced with renewed concern. How bad would it look if she had just hurt her teammate after having been given so much trust?

Blake's eyes had shot open and she held her breath in. She had expected Weiss to bring the brush up to her ears and give them a few experimental brushes, likely causing a little bit of pain but nothing she wouldn't have been ready for. What she  _hadn't_  been ready for was the white-haired girl rubbing her ears like she was an actual cat. Her face heated up as she realized how her words must have sounded to the other girl; she had practically invited her to touch and rub her feline ears.

And yet, as the shock dissipated, she realized that  _it hadn't actually felt that bad._

Recovering for a moment and putting her fist up to her mouth to try and pass off her reaction as something unrelated, Blake expelled her breath and managed to make a reply, "N-no, it's okay. Just- you were fine. Don't worry."

Her mind practically smacked itself.  _Way to play it cool._

Weiss managed to regain control of her posture and internally composed herself. "Okay," she let out, before raising her hands again and resumed caressing Blake's ears.

The brunette winced again, trying to slow her suddenly conflicted mind. On one hand, it  _definitely_ wasn't alright for her to be letting Weiss do this.

…

On the other hand, it  _definitely_  felt good. There was an odd, warm feeling building in Blake's chest.

It wasn't long before Blake managed to relax again, even lightly pushing her head into her teammate's hands. Weiss wasn't really sure of what to make of this situation, but she kept going, slightly altering her stroking to try and accommodate for the change in position of the other girl's ears.

Soon, Blake began purring again, and Weiss's anxiety faded away as her gaze softened and a light smile began to form from her lips.

The Faunus was in heaven. She had only ever trusted others to touch her feline ears a few times before in her life, but the feeling was always so blissful. Weiss's feather-light touch simply pushed her over the edge. She slowly faded into a dreamlike state, half tempted to turn around and nuzzle into the girl's chest in an attempt to make her rub harder, though she somehow managed to maintain enough common sense to recognize that  _that_  was going overboard.

Soon, her purring rose in volume to the point where it was audible enough to be heard throughout the entire room. The noise was picked up by Ruby and Yang, both of whom had been busy studying for an upcoming test on Weiss's orders. The sisters both shared a look of surprise before moving to get a better view of the spectacle in Blake's bunk, Yang peeking slightly at over the edge of her bed and holding her hair back to prevent it from falling over the edge and catching the duo's attention.

However, while Blake was busy in her trance, Weiss felt her anxiousness returning. Though she had calmed down initially, she soon started to realize how this probably looked from the outside. It reached a boiling point when she noticed the lilac eyes peaking down at them from the bunk above, causing her to quickly draw her hands back to her lap, sputtering out a quick excuse, "Uh! I-uh, think that's fine for now!"

Blake snapped back to reality and found herself completely flustered. She immediately stopped purring and her ears came down, feeling a bit ashamed of herself for allowing something so embarrassing to happen, as well as realizing how Weiss must have felt doing it. "Oh, uh, right. Yeah, that's… that's good then."

Both girls tried their very best to vanish into thin air.

Though they couldn't see it since their leader had hidden her face under her blanket, Ruby was  _beaming._  Not only had the whole scene been positively  _adorable,_  it showed how well the recovery of their friendship was going. Yang also managed to hide her smirk from her teammates, finding the spectacle to be both entertaining and sweet.

Weiss spent the next few minutes using her brush to actually finish fixing Blake's hair, adamantly preventing herself from doing anything rash again while beating down the flushing of her cheeks. Meanwhile, Blake did her very best to distract herself by keeping her eyes fixed on the desk across the room, suppressing any sounds that tried to escape her throat.

When she finally managed to complete her task, Weiss drew back and placed the brush down on top of the dresser between the two sets of beds before her gaze fixed on something. A small white ribbon, which she had brought with her to the academy to wear at formal events, sat on top of the wardrobe, with Blake's own bow being unraveled close to it.

An idea suddenly came to her mind that she immediately questioned, given… recent events before she decided to just go with it. Weiss took the white ribbon in her hand and slid over to Blake's left side. Drawing her hand through the curtain of black hair, she paused when she saw the other girl flinch.

Weiss's mind quickly started retreated into self-doubt, questioning her rash decision.  _But… what else can I do?_ Even if she wouldn't DARE put it into words, she had to at least show Blake that she…

…that she cared.

When, thankfully, there was no further response from the Faunus, she began to resume her work, tying the ribbon around a small bundle of locks in a small, neat bow. "There, done." She whispered as she pulled away, slightly satisfied.

As soon as she felt Weiss's hands part from her hair, Blake cupped her own hand around the new accessory, her eyes training down to the little white ribbon. She shot a questioning look at the heiress.

Suddenly feeling shy, Weiss attempted to explain, "Just… think of it as a reminder. That I'm here for you." She looked in a direction that  _wasn't_  Blake, figuring that her face was likely as red as the cloak of their team leader. She hadn't said it, but she might as well have.

Blake felt something in her heart, though she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Still, she smiled to herself, turning away again. Then, getting up from the bed and moving over to the drawer, she grabbed her own black hair ribbon before motioning for Weiss to turn around. Though slightly surprised, the other girl complied, allowing the Faunus to snake her hands around her ponytail. Weiss felt the fabric wrap around the long, tied strands before Blake let go and let her hair fall down against her back.

Weiss picked up a hand mirror, throwing her hair over her shoulder to get a better view at the new accessory. She looked up at her teammate. "Are you sure that's alright? Your ears..."

Blake chuckled lightly. "It's fine. I have plenty of them. You can keep it."

She gave the heiress a soft smile, which Weiss returned.

Right then and there, an unspoken promise was made between the two. One that would be represented by the ribbons they wore, the color of the other wrapped in their hair.

Even though they weren't partners.

Even though they had been at odds in the past.

Even though their differences were as clear as day and night.

They'd put their full faith in each other, no matter the circumstances.

…

Both girls immediately wretched themselves from the other's gaze.

_Even if said circumstances were mortifyingly embarrassing._

* * *

 

**Yep, the old 'fondling of the Faunus ears' plot. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for it.**

**Note that if an event isn't mentioned in the fic, it probably occurred similarly to how it did in canon.**


	4. ...and Red and Yellow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Before I get to the chapter, I want to let you guys know about my thoughts on my own writing, since this is the first time I've ever written something that can be classified as an actual 'story,' as well as my thoughts on the RWBY FNDM itself.**

**I do not consider my writing perfect. In fact, I believe that anyone who THINKS their work is perfect doesn't actually understand what perfect is. To me, perfect is not an attainable property, but rather a goal to strive for. I do not believe that the story Monty, Miles and Kerry wrote is perfect by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I believe that the alterations I have made and will likely make in the future are going to be perfect either. They are simply done in a way that I wish to be able to look back on and think, "Wow. This managed to provide joy to some people." If you looked at the story for a little bit and though 'That was nice,' then I believe that I've succeeded.**

**Due in part to my lack of drawing skills (and lack of drive to practice said skills, of my own volition) this is the only way that I feel I can contribute my thoughts and create happiness for myself and others in our FNDM. My following of WeissColdGlare on Tumblr, as well as the art she has produced from her own ideas and the ideas that I and others have provided, has shown me an experience similar to the one I hope to provide, even if this one is fundamentally different. After all, I already have several points of the story planned out; I may not be willing to add requested details into the story merely because of a suggestion.**

**If you ship Monochrome, that's great! If you don't, that's also great! If you wish to shame someone for not shipping the same couple as you, I… what? They're fictional characters. Why are you getting all worked up over fictional characters? We are all different people with different experiences and different interests; if the universe was filled with nothing but one thing, it would be pretty bland and boring. To me, it doesn't matter if you don't ship a certain ship, if you don't have any particular reason for shipping a ship that you love or if you believe your ship will become canon in the future. Right now, my biggest concern is maintaining the quality of my writing and ensuring that I don't reduce any characters to something 'less' than characters.**

**Well, okay, I DO hold my real life to be more important that my writing, but in relation to the FNDM itself, those ideals are most important. In fact, that's not even true; I'll break those ideals if it means protecting someone, because I believe (real) people are even more important than intangible ideas.**

**Even if you've only clicked on my story and left shortly after, I want to thank you for showing up and acknowledging my work in the first place. I hope I can bring joy to as many of you as I can in the future.**

**Okay, okay, that's enough thought-provoking rants for now; I'm five hundred words in and haven't even started what you're here for.**

**This chapter is not actually based on an episode, but rather is supposed to be between Volume 1 and Volume 2. Non-canon Episode 2: …and Red and Yellow**

* * *

 

Remnant's shattered moon peeked through the curtains of Team RWBY's dorm. It wasn't that late at night but the team was already in their pajamas. The only source of light came from the lamp on Weiss's desk, where the heiress sat. She was sharing her notes with Blake, who was hovering over her shoulder, in yet another Ruby-warranted bonding exercise. Ruby herself was reading comics in her bed when she looked over at her big sister in the other top bunk, who was laying back in a relaxed pose and staring at the ceiling.

Despite her thoughts on recent events being rather positive, the blonde was no longer smiling like she had been earlier. Rather, she found herself lost in thought about how much Weiss and Blake had been able to connect over the last few days. She knew it was for the best that the team to have those two connected by the hip while they rebuilt their friendship, but see them grinning and laughing together…

…well, she just wanted to be part of it.

Yang sighed under her breath, scratching her head. She had always been outgoing and willing to make friends with anyone. She KNEW that their team was supposed to be together for the next four years and likely even further beyond that.

She knew she'd have plenty of opportunities to hang out with both Weiss and Blake in the near future. Blake was her PARTNER, for crying out loud!

She knew it was stupid to be thinking this way.

Yet that don't do much to ease her loneliness.

Suddenly, something moved in the corner of Yang's vision. She barely had any time to react before the figure threw themselves over the brawler's stomach, expelling all of the air out of her lungs from the sudden weight. "Ruuuby! Get o-off!" The strength behind her words was mitigated by the giggling that came with them and the intentional over-dramatization of her tone. She managed to push her little sister off of her and retaliated by tickling her tummy, sending the team's leader into a childish sputtering of laughter.

Weiss and Blake both turned towards the sound that had interrupted their work. The heiress simply rolled her eyes and turned back to the words she'd written on a paper next to her textbook, hiding the amusement dancing in her eyes. Blake smirked and twitched the ears under her bow, observing the sight for a bit longer before looking back towards Weiss's notes.

Yang eventually released Ruby and both sisters laid down sprawled across the bunk, breathing heavily to try and calm themselves down. When their heart rates had returned to normal, Ruby managed to prop herself up on her elbows and get a closer look at her sibling. "So, you feeling better?" Her tone was a little more serious than the look in her eyes would have suggested.

Yang managed to give off a small smile before looking down.  _Of COURSE our resident sniper would be this observant._

_Well, she IS my sister, even if we're only half-related._

Trying her best to mask her crestfallen feelings, Yang gave her best lie with a tone she thought the fifteen-year-old would believe, "Don't know what you mean, sis."

Ruby's face became more serious, surprising the blonde. "Yaaang," she whined, "you know I'm not going to quit bothering you until you tell me what's up!"

On the spot now, Yang winced before shooting a look at Blake's bow. Even if she did so unintentionally, she knew the Faunus girl would have no trouble hearing everything they'd say, which basically keep the brawler from daring to speak her mind, even at a whisper. Looking back at Ruby, however, she knew her sister would likely keep her up all night if she didn't spill the beans soon. Since they had class tomorrow morning, THAT was not a viable option, especially if they didn't want to face the Ice Queen's wrath for sleeping through class.

Looking across the room at their bathroom door, her mind worked quickly and she grabbed Ruby's arm. "Come on, then," she commanded and pulled the team leader, before she could even get a word of protest out, into the bathroom.

She closed the door halfway before sticking her head out and looking at the other two girls in the bedroom. "Don't worry about us; we're just gonna have a chat," she explained, flashing them a grin. She managed to catch Blake and Weiss exchanging a look of confusion before she shut the door.

Ruby was still stunned, massaging her arm that had almost been ripped out of its socket, unable to form words properly yet.

Yang went up to their shower and opened the clear screen door, turning the shower head on as the loud roar of running water started up.

"YANG!"

The blonde jumped out of her skin at the sudden sound of her name, surprised by the harshness in her sister's tone as her gaze turned to its source. She didn't know what she had been expecting to see, but what she DID see definitely wasn't it.

Ruby was looking at her with the most incredulous glare she'd ever seen. What was even more bewildering, however, was the rest of her face, which honestly seemed redder than her signature hooded cloak. There was a mix of what appeared to be complete mortification and burning rage within it, as evidenced by the set of barred teeth.

"There is no way I'm going to take a shower with you! We aren't kids anymore!"

At this, Yang couldn't help but burst into laughter. Other than closing her mouth, Ruby kept the same blushing grimace on her face throughout her older sister's laughing fit before the girl in question eventually managed to calm down enough to speak.

"Ruby," Yang snickered, wiping a tear from her eye, "We're not going to SHOWER. I just didn't want Blake to hear what we are saying!" She then smirked teasingly and began pulling up the bottom of her orange tank top, stopping just below her bra, "Unless, of course,  _you want to_."

At this, the anger in Ruby's look turned into pure horror as her embarrassment practically doubled. She quickly scrambled backwards towards to the door, her back sliding down the wood as she covered her face and tried her best to occupy as little space as possible. "EWWWWW GROSSGROSSGROSSGROSSGROSSGROSSGROSS!"

Yang almost doubled over laughing at her tormented little sister. Eventually, she stepped forward and sat down in front of the flustered little red ball, coaxing Ruby's head out from between her knees with a hand on the crown of her head.

"Okay, look Ruby…" Yang breathed in, her chuckling quickly dying down as the reason for them even being in the bathroom returned to her mind, causing the smile on her face to fall. "Just… it's stupid. You don't need to know. I can handle it myself." She tried to sound as reassuring as possible, hoping for one last chance to get out of this.

Ruby brought her eyes up and leveled them with her elder sibling. The look in those silver eyes told Yang everything that the younger girl was about to say. "Yang, PLEASE. You know you don't have to go through anything alone, no matter how small it is!" Her face had finally returned to its normal coloration and her voice brought out its 'I'm going to make you talk about this before we leave' tone again. Yang resigned to it.

"It's just that… I can't really put it into words." Yang held her arms as she started feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Every time I think about this, I… I feel like I shouldn't have a reason to be thinking this way. I feel all guilty about it."

Ruby listened to her sister intently, searching through lilac eyes and signaling for her to continue.

"I… I want to get closer to Blake and Weiss. I feel like I'd love to jump into all of their little conversations they have with each other now and get to… I don't know, I guess… learn more about them? It doesn't matter though; they need to fix their own bond now so…" Yang sighed once more as her gaze fell to her own feet, "I told you it was stupid and pointless."

"It's not stupid and it's not pointless!"

Yang's head shot up, surprised but still confused. Ruby looked back at her with a small, reassuring smile on her face.

"Yang, it's really sweet that you think that way. And it makes sense too! We're a team and we are going to get closer." Ruby put a hand on her sister's arm, rubbing it. "I know how you feel, too. I've spent a lot of time with Weiss, since she's my partner, and, well, you're my sister. But I've barely gotten to talk with Blake one-on-one since, like, the first days we've been here."

Yang's eyes widened. She was right. Blake and Ruby had only ever really discussed the books that the black-haired girl was reading. Other than that, and the occasional request, the only other times they really talked were for idle chit-chat and the like. In fact, Yang herself couldn't really remember a time when the two had talked for more than a few minutes without either Weiss or herself joining into the coversation.

As if on cue, Yang's own mind began to shift to her relationship with Weiss. Ruby was her sister, so she knew plenty of stuff about her, but even though she knew little of her own partner (heck, she'd only recently learned that she was a FAUNUS,) she knew practically NOTHING about her white-haired teammate (except her attitude; she'd experienced plenty of THAT in the past few weeks.) Come to think of it, the last time she'd talked with Weiss was during their search for Blake and they'd basically  _antagonized_ each other. For a girl that was the daughter of the CEO of a world-famous dust company, she didn't think she could even NAME any of the girl's interests, yet she'd sleep in the same room as her for over a month.

_Does Weiss feel the same way? Did she feel the same way about BLAKE?_

Yang looked up at her leader, whose own face had fallen during their talk. Worried, she wracked her brain to try and think of some way to possibly bring her team together.

Suddenly, her mind flashed back to the black and white ribbons that her other two teammates had tied to their hair.

"Hey," she shook Ruby's arm with her own hand, receiving the silver eyes of her sister once again, "What if we all got ribbons of our own? Everyone gets three for each other team member."

Ruby's face quickly lit up again. "Yang, that's perfect!" She practically shouted, rising up to her feet and pulling up her sister along with her, their fingers intertwined. "Promise ribbons for the whole team! That sounds amazing! Weiss might not agree to it at first but I'm sure she'll come around!" She pulled her hand's out of Yang's and grabbed onto the bathroom's doorknob. "Let's go ask them right now!"

Before she could turn the knob, however, Yang grabbed Ruby around the stomach and lifted her away from the door. After an initial protest (likely from the shock of being picked up so suddenly,) Ruby looked back at her sister to question what she was doing when the larger girl answered herself, "Maybe we should wait until those two have finished working out their issues. It might be a bit much for them to have to think of something like this while they're still reeling from the other day."

Though Ruby gave her a saddened look, she didn't protest, allowing Yang to put her back down onto the floor and release her from the hold.

Their conversation effectively over, Yang turned off the shower and opened the bathroom door. Yang's gaze met the eyes of her two other teammates. Weiss looked confused, likely having expected at least one of the sisters to come out of the bathroom soaked. "You, uh, finished?" Blake asked, a slight amount of concern in her tone.

Searching through the Faunus's amber eyes, the brawler eventually concluded that her partner had indeed failed to listen in on any of their embarrassing talk.

"Yeah. Sorry about the scene before." Yang gave a genuine smile in gratitude for her partner's thoughtfulness.

Weiss closed the textbook she had been looking through, slid the paper she had been writing on into a folder and stood up. "Well, I'd say we've done enough studying for now," she concluded, looking at Blake and then Yang. "We have class early tomorrow morning. Time for bed."

"Agreed." Blake replied, stretching her arms above her head to emphasize her drowsiness.

Ruby popped up over Yang's shoulder, a grin splitting across her face as she got an amazing idea. "That reminds me! Blake, Weiss, your final task for tonight will be to sleep in the same bed together! In fact, Yang and I will join you! That way, yo- OOOF!" The team leader went flying back and landed on the floor, Weiss's textbook impacting the ground next to her. "Oowie…"

Her assailant still had her arm out in a thrown position, blue eyes blazing and porcelain cheeks flushed crimson from the same embarrassment and anger that the target herself had shown at the beginning of the bathroom conversation.

Blake and Yang both burst out into laughter, the former in spite of her own embarrassment from the shockingly intimate command. During this whole charade, Yang managed to sneak a glance at the girls' ribbons, imagining a small red and yellow ribbon next to the ones already present. She then looked down at her sister, who had managed to sit up and was rubbing the front of her head, a sheepish grin across her lips. Yang's look softened.

_'Promise ribbons for the whole team! That sounds amazing!'_

Yeah. It really did.

* * *

 

**Hope you enjoyed the adorable half-sister-bonding this chapter.**


	5. All Together Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**This chapter is not actually based on an episode, but rather is supposed to be between Volume 1 and Volume 2. Non-canon Episode 3: All Together Now**

* * *

 

At Ruby's request, her team assembled in the courtyard after lunch to use much of the time left in the semester's break to practice combo moves, which involved multiple teammates fighting together.

What Ruby  _hadn't_  told her teammates was that most of the practice time would be used for coming up with catchy names rather than  _actually practicing the moves._  Weiss was particularly annoyed by this, though as she wasn't the team leader, she didn't have the authority to change Ruby's plans.

So far, they'd come up with the details and names for: 'Checkmate,' Weiss and Blake's attack pattern, 'Ladybug,' Ruby and Blake's attack and 'Bumblebee,' Blake and Yang's attack. With all of her moves already being named and laid out, Blake had stood off to the side, patiently waiting as the other three girls tried to think up viable names for their combinations, with the Faunus only intervening once to shoot down the blonde's suggestion of incorporating her motorbike into her and the brunette's move.

"But it's CALLED Bumblebee! Come on!"

"As…  _nice_ as that sounds," in all honestly, Blake hated the idea of throwing a LOUD motorcycle into their already dangerous move, "we need to have a move that can be used at ANY time. That includes when you don't have your bike with you."

"Awww…"

Her seemingly genius and spontaneous idea no longer applicable, Yang went back to work thinking up a name for her and Weiss's move. They were still trying to figure out how their two different styles could be used together and there was little obvious material to go off. She and Ruby had managed to decide on 'Sun-something' for their move, but Yang wanted 'Strawberry Sunrise,' her favorite drink while Ruby preferred the cooler (in her opinion) 'Crimson Sunset.' Although her sister thought this would be too far leaning towards Ruby's theme, Ruby herself countered that the same was true for the other option. At an impasse, Weiss was decided to be the tiebreaker, which was why she was deep in thought while the siblings thought up names for their moves with the heiress.

"I've got it! Ice Flower!"

Silence greeted Ruby's exclamation.

"Ruby, that sounds ridiculous."

"Oh, come on, Weiss! It's perfect! Don't you get it? I'm the flower and you're the ice!"

"I agree with Weiss," Blake chimed in.

Yang also spoke up. "Yeah. 'Ice Flower' just sounds… wrong. I don't know."

Ruby said something under her breath, though whatever she had said sounded to Blake like a bunch of gibberish, even with her excellent hearing. "Oh yeah?" She spoke up eventually, "And what do YOU guys think would be better?"

"Honestly," Blake exclaimed, surprising the others with her rapid response, "I was kind of thinking 'White Rose' would work."

Both Weiss and Yang smiled this, nodded their approval, but Ruby frowned and shook her head. "You guys don't really think THAT name is better than 'Ice Flower,' do you?"

Weiss sighed. "I THINK that we should actually be practicing these moves rather than coming up with catchy names for them." She replied, shooting her partner a glare. "Either way, I'd say the three of us have already outvoted you, so that means its 'White Rose' then."

Ruby growled. "Okay, leader overrule! Our team attack will be called 'Ice Flower' and that's that!"

"Fine! Then your and Yang's attack will be called 'Strawberry Sunrise.'" Weiss countered, lifting up her nose and crossing her arms.

"Wha-"

"Yes!"

Yang pumped her fist while Ruby slumped. About to protest, she gave up when she realized that any further arguing against this name would require her to cede ground to 'White Rose,' which she REALLY didn't want to do. Weiss was also right; they needed to get to training eventually and starting another argument might make the white-haired girl give up and leave, which would NOT be good for what she considered to be another team-bonding exercise.

Still, Ruby wanted to have names that could be called out at a moment's notice, so that she would be able to relay the orders in the heat of battle without even needing to think. She had hoped, however, that as the one calling them out, she'd be using names that SHE preferred.

"Fine…" Ruby grumbled, kicking over a pebble. "So, Yang, have you thought of a name for your and Weiss's move yet?"

The brawler honestly hadn't. In fact, she had actually spent most of her time brainstorming ideas for the promise ribbons extension idea she had come up with the other day. While ribbons did seem nice, she'd thought of instead getting three pieces of cloth to tie around her arm, similar to the lavender bandana she wore around her knee…

"Yang?"

This was starting to become a running theme amongst Team RWBY. Yang snapped out of the tangent her brain had gone on and managed to get out a quick 'nope' to answer her leader's question, causing the others to sigh.

Yang folded her arms, slightly frustrated as well.  _This shouldn't be that hard_ , she thought, yet when she imagined the colors white and gold, nothing catchy really came to mind. Going back to 'White Rose' (or, as Ruby had enforced, 'Ice Flower,') she started to think outside the box.

_What else could I use? Well… Weiss has her glyphs and… she seems to favor Ice Dust. Oh, and my hair catches on fire! Hot and cold… what would sound good? Uh… uhhh…_

Yang wracked her brain and rubbed her temples, before finally snapping her fingers.

"I've got it! Freezerburn!"

The others stared at her for a second, before looking to the sky in contemplation. Weiss allowed for a small smile to appear on her face. "Yeah, that could work."

"Better than what I came up with," Ruby said, showing a sheepish grin. When the rest of her team gave her a questioning look, she shrugged. "Yellow Snow."

Yang immediately let out a cackle, unable to control herself. The duo now known as Checkmate, however, were considerably less impressed. Weiss herself cupped her hand over her forehead.

"Well, at least now we can finally train," she said, though her mind had already checked out.

* * *

 

"Alright, Blake!" Ruby exclaimed, her tone being intentionally over-dramatic, "Show us what you can do!"

Blake nodded to her leader and unsheathed Gambol Shroud, both hands holding a blade and lowering herself into her combat stance.

Weiss stood off to her side, studying her teammate's form in preparation for practice with their combination move, Checkmate. Ruby and Yang were standing together further away, the older sister crossing her arms and looking intrigued while the younger one cupped her hands around her mouth, amplifying her orders across the field.

Blake looked ahead at her target (a small straw dummy prepared by Ruby, with several stakes poking out of it to represent an enemy's weapon) and imagined it as a real opponent. Suddenly, she propelled herself forward, leaving behind a shadow clone and striking with several slashes, starting from over her shoulder and gradually hitting more horizontally. She made a blindingly quick strike with each sword during each successive spin, compensating for the brief moment that exposed her back with unrelenting force. Soon, she began alternating her hits from several different directions, which would likely complicate any defensive measures and make retaliation next to impossible. Finally, she launched herself clear of the dummy's range, a clone dissipating from where she had stood in front of the target.

As Blake stuck her landing, Weiss let out a little clap. She'd compared the girl's form within her mind to her own. She'd thought of her own rapier thrusts of Myrtenaster and how the slashes paralleled with the display she had just observed. She smiled as she imagined them fighting alongside one another, each applying continuous pressure upon an opponent with a constant barrage of swings. Finally, she wondered how she might be able to incorporate her different dust glyphs into her attacks, likening Blake's prowess for constant movement to her own liberal use of platform glyphs.

"Weiss? Weiss!"

The girl in question shook her head and looked up at her leader, "Huh?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, to which Weiss winced.  _Right,_  she thought.  _I've been pestering her to get this started; I need to focus._  "Sorry, I was just comparing our forms in my head." She apologized, hoping this might save face. "What did you need?"

Ruby sighed quietly before deciding to put it behind her. "I said, go stand next to Blake. We need to have you to actually practice together if we're going to make this work."

_Wait, right now?!_  Weiss suddenly felt nervous. They'd all already shown off their techniques, but she wasn't expecting to combine them yet. She looked over at Blake, whose face seemed to mimic a similar unease. "Are you sure that isn't a bit… well, dangerous?" She shot back at her leader.

"Well, danger IS our job." Ruby replied, her red hair flicking as the wind began to pick up. "We need to move onto the next moves but we should at least try it once!"

Weiss sighed. Ruby was never one for safety precautions, huh? She shifted her gaze to Yang and saw lilac eyes shining with anticipation before she walked up to Blake.

The Faunus's amber eyes were focused down on the ground below. Her expression was twisted into something resembling worry.

Suddenly, a hand came up into her field of view, making her reel back slightly in surprise. Weiss grasped the locks held together by her white ribbon in her hand. Blake's eyes shifted to the other girl's ponytail, the black ribbon dancing in the rising wind.

"It'll be alright, Blake. We both know what we're doing. Our styles will work well together and, mostly importantly, we've got each other's backs."

Blake couldn't manage to hide the smile that formed on her lips. She closed her eyes and reopened them to look into the blue pools in front of her. "Right," she replied simply, clutching one part of Gambol Shroud in each hand and moving back into her stance as Weiss did the same, Myrtenaster held forward with her wrist twisted back to her chest, ready to strike forwards at a moment's notice.

"Alright then! Ready?" Ruby called from her spot with Yang off to the side.

The monochromatic duo nodded.

"GO! CHECKMATE!"

Both girls jumped ahead, slashing into the target with perfectly complementary movements. Within seconds, the straw dummy was practically eviscerated, large pieces of wood flying through the air. Both girls knocked away these pieces of debris with ease as though they were simply more obstacles that they were fighting. With a precise thrust from Myrtenaster, Weiss sent what remained of the target flying forwards and sent down a haste glyph at their feet. Blake sliced through the air at shocking speeds, making several slashes and finishing with a resonance blast from both pieces of her sword, basically turning what was left of the corpse of straw and sticks into sawdust. Finally, Weiss sent down several white glyphs and both girls, still under the time-altering effects of the previous glyph, went through an incredible acrobatic display of backflips, finally landing back at where they had started, sheathing and holstering their weapons.

The Checkmate pair both gave each other a satisfied smile.

Ruby and Yang both smiled as well, proud of how far the pair had come since their incident only a few days ago. Ruby cupped her hands around her mouth once more and called out to them.

"Great job, guys! Okay! Next up, Freezerburn!"

* * *

 

**What does Ruby have against the name 'White Rose?' That's an excellent question!**

… **I should probably think of an answer to it.**

**And that SHOULD be it for these inter-volume episodes. Note that the episodes before this took place while class was still in session (during a weekend or an extended weekend) while this one takes place during the break; the same one that is about to end in Volume 2, Chapter 1 of the animation.**

**Speaking of which: The next episode shall return us to our regularly scheduled programs.**


	6. Best Day Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 1, 'Best Day Ever'**

* * *

 

Having already eaten her share of the cafeteria's banquet, Blake sat at one of the back tables in the cafeteria and lightly sketched another curve around the petals of the large rose in the middle of her notebook. Her vision went fuzzy as she looked at her other sketch, drawn from memory of one of the last times she could remember seeing that figure.

…

' _What about the crew members?'_

_Adam turned towards her, his expression unreadable behind his Grimm mask. When he spoke, his voice also provided no insight into his thoughts._

' _Look, Blake. Either when blow up this section and derail the whole train, or we throw the crew members off a speeding train so that they don't die in the explosion. This requires less work.'_

_Blake knew this already; she knew she'd never be able to change Adam's mind, yet she couldn't help looking away and shutting her eyes…_

"Whatcha doing?"

Blake's eyes flew open and she reflectively jolted back from her blonde partner's invasion of her personal space. "Nothing," she replied, closing the notebook quickly, "Just going over notes from last semester."

Weiss, who was sitting on her other side, looked over at Yang and then at Blake when she spoke up. Concern seemed to fill her eyes even as she kept quiet. Her gaze instinctively drew to the white ribbon in the brunette's hair.

Yang bit back a comment on how ridiculous that excuse was, partly because she believed Weiss might snap at her for mocking studying and draw them away from the main point of the conversation. Despite moving back to catch a grape in her mouth (in a game she and Nora were playing; one that most of Team JNPR seemed to be enjoying,) Yang decided to push a little further. "You sure? The both of us can lend an ear if you need one," she assured her partner, noting their other teammate. Blake turned her head to look at the mentioned girl.

It took a lot of willpower for Weiss to stop herself from turning away, mostly due to the knowledge that such a gesture might be interpreted as rude or hurtful by her friend. Somehow managing to lock her gaze with Blake's without looking away, she accepted the transfer of focus. "S-she's right. Blake, we're here for you. You know that, right?"

The Faunus girl couldn't help but smile, returning a grateful look to Weiss and then Yang. "Thanks guys, but I can handle it myself."

Neither of the other girls felt satisfied with this answer, but neither pressed any further, fearing Blake might push them away and retract further into herself where they couldn't reach her. Yang managed to catch another airborne grape from Nora and gave a thumbs-up, bringing up her teammates' spirits a little bit.

All three girls reeled back into each other when a large binder hit the table, rattling nearby silverware. Their 'fearless' team leader cleared her throat before beginning her speech, gesturing to the two groups.

"Sisters. Friends.  _Weiss_ …"

"HEY!"

Blake, Yang and Team JNPR managed to stifle their laughter. Even though Ruby was often on the short end of Weiss's temper, she tended to get her revenge in amusing, if roundabout, ways.

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream."

"This ought to be good," her sister said sarcastically to the other two, moving to catch yet another grape with incredible coordination and eliciting a giggle from the thrower.

Their leader continued, completely ignoring the collective groans. "A dream that one day, the four of us would come together,  _as a team,_  and have the most fun anyone has ever had, EVER!"

With the break in Ruby's speech, Weiss suddenly noticed something. "Did you steal my binder?"

"I am not a crook." Ruby gave off two peace signs.

Blake was incredibly confused, what with her mind having been somewhere else just a minute ago. "What are you talking about?"

Ruby, happy to indulge her teammate, explained in simpler terms. "I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!"

Yang was quick to capitalize on her sister's statement. "I always kick my semesters off with a YANG!"

Neither Blake nor Weiss were not in the mood to put up with Yang's puns right now. Weiss set her head on her hand as Yang received a (much too big to catch with her mouth) apple to the face and a boo from Nora.

Ruby, on the other hand, was not willing to lose the attention of her teammates.

"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks, and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But classes start back up tomorrow. Which was why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today."

Still slightly concerned about how her binder played into this, Weiss spoke up again. "I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store."

She heard Ren let out a cry of shock as Yang returned her gift to its sender, conjuring another laugh from the other mischief maker.

Blake, who was still thinking back to her memory, wasn't really in the mood for games at the moment. "I don't know. I… think I might sit this out." She said, turning towards Weiss and looking for agreement.

While Weiss normally would prefer a nice, quiet day in the room, she also knew that Ruby would not be so willing to back down from her planned events. Taking another glance at Blake's white ribbon, she decided to try a tactic that could keep her on the good side of all of her teammates.

"Sit out or not, I think however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team!" Weiss exclaimed, prompting a look of surprise from her teammate, as well as attracting the attention of her leader. For some reason, Yang's focus was on something else, but she decided to ignore this and got out of her seat, feeling the need to continue vocalizing the idea she had just come up with to the rest of her team.

"I, for one, think that-"

***SPLAT***

The idea she'd had immediately vanished as she tried to process what had just happened. Weiss managed to blink some sort of substance out of her eyes and look across to see a stunned-looking Team JNPR. Pyrrha had her hand over her mouth and was sharing a terrified look with Jaune. Nora, the likely culprit, immediately tried to push the blame onto her facepalming partner with a childish point of her finger.

Having lost her train of thought and suddenly worried about how stupid she looked, Weiss wiped the creamy dessert off her face before grabbing a handful of food off of the tray in front of her and launching it at the suspect. It hit Nora square in the face and sending her flying back in a slightly more dramatic effect than one would have actually been expecting from the hardy girl.

Normally, Weiss would have NEVER done something so rude at home. But she wasn't at home. And, quite frankly, it was a bit satisfying to see the crazy redhead getting launched out of her seat.

Not a moment later, someone let out a loud cry that could easily be heard throughout the cafeteria.

" _FOOD FIGHT!"_

Immediately, the room exploded into a calamity of shouts and flying produce. The heiress quickly hid under her table with the rest of her team, being incredibly thankful that she was thousands of miles from her family in Atlas right now.

She was startled when Blake suddenly spoke up next to her. "Don't think I would have ever expected something like that out of you." She whispered with a smirk.

Weiss huffed. "What can I say? A Schnee ALWAYS gets even."

Suddenly, both girls heard a cry of shock from behind the Faunus. Turning around, the monochromatic duo managed to catch their leader being pelted with what appeared to be chicken nuggets. The two shifted their gaze to a certain blonde fool across from their table, looking quite content with his shot. Off to the side, Weiss hear a growl and Jaune's face suddenly fell as another blonde figure rushed forward and grabbed the foolish boy by his arm, throwing him over their table and into a large window.

Weiss smiled to herself. Any guilt from having started this mayhem suddenly vanished from her mind. She turned to Blake.

"This is gonna be fun."

* * *

 

For some reason, it wasn't until Nora's loud cackling echoed over the cafeteria that most of the other students fled the immediate vicinity. Sun and Neptune stepped into the arena as many kids ran past them, screaming in terror.

"I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE! I'M QUEEN OF THE CASTLE!"

Having survived her initial pelting, the wacky redhead had immediately determined that the best way to obtain a strategic advantage in a food fight was with superior terrain. So, naturally, this translated into her team building a massive castle out of cafeteria tables and vending machines.

Below, only Team RWBY stood firm against this impregnable fortress. Ruby Rose, leader of the rebellion against the tyranny of JNPR, aimed her finger at the evil queen and cried out for her wounded comrade, who had been the first casualty of the war. "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" She crushed the milk carton in her hand for dramatic effect. "It will be  ** _DELICIOUS!_** "

" ** _YEAAAH!_** " Her fellow teammates gave out a mighty hurrah as the group charged forwards.

"Off with their heads!" Queen Nora ordered, hopping down to the ground as she and the rest of her team hurled about a dozen watermelons at their opponents.

"FREEZERBURN!" The rebellious leader shouted, ducking as the duo in question cleared over her, Weiss grabbing a long baguette and Yang wielding two turkeys as gauntlets. The two girls shared a smile before looking back at the incoming ordnance, ready to try out their newly developed techniques on real adversaries.

Yang took the lead, charging forward and jumping, with the assistance of one of Weiss's glyphs, at one of the melons. She punched through the large dessert, reducing it to a red mist and began bashing her way through the rest, achieving a rhythm as she smashed through each and every melon before setting her sight on their first victim, Jaune. She brought back her arm and threw one turkey at the boy, quickly followed up by the other.

Wielding a large tray, the blonde leader of Team JNPR narrowly dodged the first bird and managed to deflect the second before charging forward, followed by Pyrrha. Yang came up to meet him and delivered several thorough punches and kicks against the tray, though Jaune managed to hold firm thanks to his training.

Suddenly, a strike came from below his opponent as Weiss lunged upwards and sent the brave if outmatched boy flying, landing hard on his back.

"BUMBLEBEE!"

Weiss pulled back as Pyrrha reached Yang and made a thrust forwards with her own bread sword. Yang threw the blow off to her side and responded with a punch that Pyrrha dodged and a sweep of the legs that forced the ace back. She managed to look up just in the nick of time to dodge yet another attack, this time from Blake who was wielding two baguettes.

Pyrrha once again lunged forwards only to catch one of Blake's shadow clones and block a hefty punch from Yang, who came flying through the disintegrating copy. Blake attempted to flank the red-haired girl only to just block an overhead strike from Jaune's tray, the boy already having managed to recover.

Yang managed to swipe away another strike from Pyrrha and grapple her arm, throwing her around in a circle before launching her back towards the mountain of tables. Blake, meanwhile, managed to grab a hold of her attacker's weapon and throw it over her head while simultaneously sweeping his legs and delivering a kick directly to his chest, sending Jaune tumbling back once again. She then immediately jumped back, dodging a leek that embedded itself into the floor. Looking up, she crossed her arms to block a blow from Ren as the boy landed a kick on her and flipped backwards before lunging at her again.

"ICE FLOWER!"

As Pyrrha got up, she barely managed to react as a large tray struck her outstretched arms. Ruby pushed off the other side of the plate and sent the top student skittering back as she brought up her baguette to block Weiss, who was now wielding a large swordfish.

Nora aired over Pyrrha and struck Ruby, who was still in the air, with a mallet made out of what appeared to be a large steel pole and a watermelon. The cloaked girl crashed into one of the table with a cry of shock as silverware flew in every direction. The redhead landed and charged forwards, only to trip up as her feet met ketchup that had been shot from a bottle wielded by Weiss. Pyrrha, who was supposed to be holding off the heiress, was now engaged with Yang who, having lacked an opponent, had charged forwards again. Wielding her two turkey gauntlets once more, she made several more punches at the ace, each strike being blocked with another tray as her baguette had been destroyed in by a previous hit from the blonde girl.

As Nora moved to block a strike from Weiss's swordfish, Blake had grabbed a chain of sausages and began whipping it at Ren, who blocked the strike and landed before sprinting back towards Yang, jumping off of the handle of Nora's hammer as she swing at her opponent once more, the heiress flipping back to just miss the heavy strike.

"LADYBUG!"

Jaune had just managed to get to his feet when Ruby hopped off his shoulders and sent him reeling, tackling Ren in the air as Blake did the same, the trio falling back to the floor with a crash as both girls crushed their opponent under their combined weight. The blonde boy was able to regain his footing only to be bowled over by Weiss, who herself had taken a hit from the mad queen's improv hammer. Tumbling to a halt, Jaune looked up and smiled warily at his crush, whose pnly response was a grimace. Grabbing him by the hoodie, she sent him flying back at Nora. The redhead simply ducked under her teammate as she shot forwards.

Before she could reach the white-haired girl, however, she was intercepted by Yang, who had managed to knock Pyrrha back against one of the soda machines. However, as she had already been winding up the shot, Nora simply struck the brawler instead, despite the larger girl's attempt to block the strike with her edible gauntlets, and sent her flying into the back wall.

As Blake and Ruby returned to their feet, the Faunus dodged a soda can, shot by Pyrrha, with one of her clones. The can exploded into grape soda as it hit the place she had just been standing. The red-haired girl began using her semblance to launch the (apparently magnetic) soda cans at Team RWBY.

Ruby used her own semblance to shoot back and catch her older sister, shouting her final command over her shoulder.

"CHECKMATE!"

Weiss, who had just ducked under one of Nora's strikes, snagged the smaller girl's leg and sent her face first into the ground, letting out a surprised shriek. She quickly created a glyph platform in front of her that Blake landed on, grabbing the heiress's arm with her black ribbons and throwing the girl over her shoulder.

In an incredible show of skill and expertise, Weiss assumed a diving position and smashed a vial of dust in front of her, encasing herself in ice. Pyrrha managed to narrowly dodge the living bullet only for it to strike one of the vending machines at the base of the fort.

The resulting explosion of soda sent cans and tables flying. Pyrrha let out a cry as she flew forwards from the blast, everyone else hitting the deck as soda rained down. Thankfully, most of the tables landed closer to the windows than the space at the middle of the cafeteria.

As everyone got up, all covered with different colors of soda, a sound echoed from the entrance which caused both teams to turn towards it. Sun was applauding loudly before elbowing Neptune. The blue-haired boy's only response was a glare, hidden under the coating of purple soda that covered his… well, everything.

"I love these guys." The blonde Faunus beamed as Neptune's glare began to relax.

The two moved back as Professor Goodwitch entered the cafeteria, growling loudly as she used her telekinetic semblance to rearrange and return the tables back to their original positions. Fixing her glasses, she let out a strained demand.

"Children, PLEASE, do not play with your food."

As audacious as it was to do so right in front of a teacher that was angry with them, all eight students burst out into laughter. This promised detention for all of them but they couldn't help themselves.

Blake, who helped Weiss up, clasped the heiress's hand with a huge grin on her face. She was glad she'd stayed for the fight; not only had it distracted her from her negative thoughts from before…

…it had actually been fun!

However, as soon as this thought crossed her mind, her smile began to fade.

* * *

 

**Initially when I wrote this chapter, I was just going to do everything up to Weiss getting pied and leave the food fight alone, since I didn't feel anything needed to be added. Instead, I decided to do the fight so I could properly incorporate the team attacks from last chapter and practice doing fight scenes. And because it was awesome. This can be used to justify Jaune thinking up the combo attacks for JNPR in Volume 3.**

 


	7. Welcome to Beacon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 2, 'Welcome to Beacon'**

* * *

 

Despite their planned detention, the headmaster managed to intervene and have the two teams' punishments be severely reduced, much to Professor Goodwitch's chagrin. Instead, RWBY and JNPR were to write a ten-page paper, due the next weekend, on the aftereffects of continuous semblance usage and their impact on one's health. For Ruby, Yang and Nora, this was less of a reduction and more of a 'change in type of punishment.' As such, both teams had headed to the library to touch up in preparation. Of course, in the end, only Jaune and Ren had ended up studying, though the former had been forced to by Pyrrha.

Nora, naturally, had fallen asleep on top of one of Ren's books. Pyrrha, Weiss and Blake already knew everything they needed to in order to write their papers, but while the former was making sure Jaune got his work done, the latter two had been forced by their other teammates (who were, unsurprisingly, planning to procrastinate) into a game of 'Remnant.'

Eventually, when Pyrrha had laxed her hold on Jaune's studying, the blonde boy looked up at his friends at the other table after hearing some amount of sobbing from Ruby and Weiss. Deciding he'd read enough on differentiating semblance impacts from battle fatigue (and already having enough field experience of the latter) the team leader walked over to the other table.

"Hey, that looks fun? Mind if I join in?"

"YES, I do mind." Weiss replied, wheeling around to shoot him a look that said 'Back off.' She'd had to deal with him enough during the fight before and she fully expected any contributions he made to be directly based on trying to flirt with her.

_All because he didn't pick up my sarcastic tone on the first day,_ she grumbled under her breath.

Yang smirked. "I'm sure HE'D do a better job than YOU did last turn." She teased. The heiress's only reply was a blushing groan.

Jaune had always been one to take on a challenge, especially if it involved calculated thought. "Maybe I will! I'll have you know that my ability to process battle strategies is second to none!" He said, flexing his arm as though it would prove his point.

Weiss couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Come on! Let me play your hand for a turn!" The blonde boy begged, causing Weiss to reel back.

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo." She cried in exasperation. She hadn't exactly been enjoying the game when she was pulled in but there was no way she was going to hand over her responsibility to  _Jaune_ , of all people.

She'd sooner leave a full jar of cookies alone in a room with Ruby for half an hour.

The boy was adamant. "Why not? You've trusted me with WAY more important stuff before." He reasoned, "I mean you told us all that Blake is secretly a Fau-"

Pyrrha, who had practically teleported to his side, covered the blonde's mouth and tried her best to cover up, looking around to see if anyone else in the library had been paying attention to the conversation. "…FUN-LOVING person, whom we all admire and respect!"

Jaune let out a nervous laugh. All he got was a death glare from the Faunus herself. She hadn't been paying much attention to the game or the conversation but the near-exposure of her secret in a public place left her bristling. She was typically tolerant of the boy's mischief, but this…

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Blake let out a long sigh. "Look Jaune, it's… fine. Just PLEASE…" She didn't know how to put it.  _Shut up? Would that be too rude? Go away? No, that'd be worse._  Her mind, already stressed from her previous thoughts, simply couldn't find the right words. Instead, she waved him off.

Oddly enough, the young leader took the hint. Brushing back his hair awkwardly, he backed off.

"Sup, losers?"

Blake turned around to see Sun standing behind her. His blue-haired friend, who looked like he'd just taken a shower, was standing next to him.

"Hey, Sun." Ruby greeted the monkey Faunus.

The boy responded by rattling off a series of acknowledgements. "Ruby. Yang. Blake.  _Ice Queen_."

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?!"

Ruby suppressed a giggle. Yang didn't. Blake simply smiled and shook her head.

Ignoring Weiss's clamor, Sun threw a thumb over his shoulder towards his friend. "I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend."

Neptune took a sweeping glance across the table. His eyes stopped on Weiss before he turned back to Sun. "Uh, aren't libraries for reading?"

"THANK YOU!"

Everyone turned around to see Ren throwing up his arms and giving them a hard glare. He'd been stuck on the same page ever since Team RWBY had  _loudly_  began their game on the other table. Nora let out some sort of grumble before returning to her normal rhythm of snoring.

Sun was far less impressed at his friend's tendency to be a killjoy. "Shut up. Don't be a nerd."

Neptune completely ignored the insult, instead turning towards Team RWBY, the Ice Queen specifically. "I'm Neptune." He gave off his best smile.

Weiss blinked. Then narrowed her eyes. He was giving her the look of a smitten suitor. Sure, he was handsome, but so were many of the guys before him. She immediately filed the name Neptune under the 'Suspicious' category of her brain, right next to Jaune.

"So, Snow Angel, I don't believe I caught your name." Neptune wheeled around Ruby, the team leader eyeing him with a look of utter confusion.

Weiss couldn't do much other than look away uncomfortably. "Weiss." She replied formally.

_What's up with him?_  She thought warily.  _Usually, they wait at least a few minutes for trying those kinds of moves._

Eyes moving forward, her gaze set on Blake. The brunette was twiddling some of her hair between her fingers and her eyes shifted over to the heiress. Catching Blake's golden gaze, Weiss saw some form of anxiety within it. Somehow, this caused her to relax, assuming that the girl across from her felt the same tension she did. She looked over at Yang, who also seemed quite concerned about this new guy getting incredibly close to the heiress, as well as Ruby, who mirrored her sister's look. This at least meant that she wasn't crazy. She allowed her muscles to unwind and looked up at her new acquaintance in the knowledge that, if he tried anything funny, she'd have her teammates by her sides.

In reality, Blake wasn't focused on anything outside of her own brain. Her mind keeping returning to the last mission she'd done with the White Fang. Then her thoughts shifted to the night at the shipyard. Once more, her mind went fuzzy.

Her wrapped ears pricked up as her fellow Faunus spoke suddenly. "Never took you for the board-game-playing type! Mind if I play?" He looked over the table quickly. "I mean, I can be on your team if you guys don't have any spots open."

Blake closed her eyes. She was thankful that Sun had helped her when she'd run from her team and it was clear from his actions that he did care a great deal about her, which she was grateful to return. However, his intervention had marked a spike in the headache she'd developed ever since the end of the food fight. One that she didn't blame on him but…

_Ever since I thought back to…_

Blake stood up, surprising everyone at the table. "Sorry, I'm not feeling very well. I'll head back first." She excused herself, Sun backing up to let her through as she left.

Ruby began to rise as well before she felt a hand grip her wrist. She turned to look into two pools of crystal blue. Weiss gave her a smile before she walked off after Blake, the black ribbon in her ponytail bouncing behind her.

Jaune fixed his gaze on the accessory.

* * *

 

Blake sat down on the edge of her bed and rubbed her temples with the insides of her wrists. Unable to clear the image in her head, she opted instead to fall back on her mattress and squeeze her eyes shut.

_"This has certainly been an eventful evening."_

_Blake looked up at the headmaster of her school. Professor Ozpin pulled up a chair at the other end of the table. The young girl simply hummed in response._

_"I'm sure that after a night of thwarting attempted robberies, you probably just want to go home and take a nap. But... I was hoping that maybe we could have a chance to talk."_

_"Of... course." Blake replied, though only after a moment's hesitation. There was something about the way he spoke that sounded... suspicious. Almost condescending. The brunette tried to relax but made sure to watch her own words._

_The professor smiled. "Wonderful. As you know, in order to enroll at my academy, students must first pass a rigorous entrance exam. Most applicants spend years of preparation training at one of the many combat schools around the world." He stopped for a moment. "YOU are one of the few that did not. And you passed the exam with flying colors."_

_Blake's barely reacted. Is this REALLY what this is about? He mentioned the day's events already; she herself was rather surprised that her group wasn't being told off after the Vale police escorted them back to the campus until she was called in by the headmaster himself. Having already worried about his earlier tone, the Faunus couldn't help but wonder why this was a problem, especially since something concerning her entrance exam would have been brought up earlier than now._

_"I was raised outside the kingdoms. If you can't fight, you can't survive."_

_That was about as close to the truth as Blake was willing to get. She'd rather be taken for a street rat than a former terrorist. Of course, Menagerie didn't actually have a huntsman academy or combat school. If it did, she probably would have gone there instead of one residing in a human city, where every other block had anti-Faunus shops and stores, filled with... Blake stopped her thoughts before she showed anything outwardly. She even stopped her ears from flattening under her bow when she thought back to her home._

_She couldn't even remember how many years it was since she'd seen her parents._

_Ozpin put his cup of... whatever he was drinking, down on the table. "Well, you have most certainly survived, Blake." She couldn't really tell if that was a compliment; it didn't sound like one, especially since he was using that condescending tone again. "I admire your drive. And I am proud to run a school that accepts individuals from all walks of life. Rich. Poor. Human..."_

_He took a long sip from his drink, his expression unchanging, like his face was some sort of mask._

_"...Faunus."_

_Blake narrowed her amber eyes. THAT was on purpose. Even though he was her headmaster (and likely much stronger and more experienced than she was,) she became incredibly conscious of Gambol Shroud on her back._

_She wondered how long of a drop it would be from the window behind her to the ground._

_The headmaster put down his drink once more, his point already being made. His neutral look dropped into something that seemed sad, even mournful. "Why do you wear that bow, Blake? Why hide who you are?"_

_Despite his surprisingly encouraging words, Blake didn't react. The simple fact that he knew about her traits brought paralyzing anxiety. How did he even know? The only person who might have told him was that Penny girl. Did Ozpin send her to spy on them? Why would he need to meddle in his students lives? The brunette managed to push all of this to the side quickly, figuring she might as well give a reply considering the jig was up. She looked away. "You may be willing to accept the Faunus, Professor Ozpin, but your species is not."_

_"True," the headmaster conceded, "but we are continuing to take strides to lessen the divide."_

_Blake scowled to herself as her mind returned to the anti-Faunus stores along Vale's streets. And Cardin Winchester. And all the other jerks like him that still existed within Beacon and the city. And the other kingdoms._

_"With all due respect," and she meant that; even if he was seriously pushing her buttons, he did know at least one of her secrets and he WAS still one of her teachers, though that did nothing to remove the calm yet bold stress she put on her words, "you need to start taking some LARGER strides. Until then, I'd rather avoid any unnecessary attention. I want people to see me for WHO I am, not WHAT I am."_

_Professor Ozpin suddenly leaned forward, his face pensive. "And what ARE you?"_

_"I-I... don't understand what you're asking."_

_Except she did. To a certain degree. While it did come out of nowhere, she had a fairly good idea that it played into her past; the same one he'd tried to bring up before and questioned her on. He had already talked about being alright with hosting the poor, so..._

_Ozpin pressed on. "How did you know that the White Fang would be at the shipyard tonight?"_

_Blake was very thankful she'd perfected her poker face years ago._

_"I didn't. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."_

_Of course, she supposed she could still work on coming up with excuses on the spot._

_The professor brought out that tone again. "You wouldn't have been the first." Then his expression changed suddenly, in a slight way, as though he was giving a speech to an audience that only included the Faunus. "But what happened tonight was not an isolated incident. I may be your headmaster, but I am also a huntsman. And it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it."_

_Blake felt herself shift slightly as Ozpin seemed to refocus on her. "Blake, are you SURE that there is nothing else you would like to tell me?" He asked once more, his face becoming considerably more sympathetic._

_Amber eyes narrowed again. The black-haired girl felt like something was... off. She knew he was the headmaster of the school, but now he was acting like a therapist. One that had been questioning about her past. Though her expressionless look held firm, her mind suddenly jumped to the possibility that, with his small speech before that and their talk about the Faunus, he was about to accuse her of being associated with the White Fang. An accusation that would be completely undeniable without her lying to his face._

_"I'm sure."_

_And there WAS truth in that. She was sure she wasn't about to tell the authorities something that might end with her being further associated with the organization. Not when she'd specifically come here to leave that part of her life behind, even if current events made that impossible._

_Ozpin didn't look satisfied (Blake was beginning to think that everyone just looked like that when she dismissed their help) but didn't press the issue any further. "Very well," he concluded, standing up and grabbing his walking cane, "Thank you for your time, Miss Belladonna."_

_The anxious Faunus kept her eyes on the headmaster as he began walking towards the door before he turned around once again. "If you ever need to talk to me..."_

_His request was met with another narrowed glare._

_"Please, don't hesitate to ask."_

_His final look had a solemn aspect to it. As the door closed, Blake looked down, wondering if she should have told him at least something. Even if she didn't trust him fully, he said he was their headmaster and she knew that much was true. For all she knew, he held information that might be useful to her. Her ears flattened against her bow as she closed her eyes..._

"If you're feeling that bad, you might want to check into the infirmary."

Amber eyes shot open. Propping herself up on her elbows, she caught a look from her white-haired teammate who had entered the room at some point, her face showing clear concern. Blake's ears fell flat under her bow. She hadn't meant to worry the rest of her team, even if she did feel awful.

"You know, talking about it might help."

Once again, Weiss managed to surprise her, despite her knowing full well that the other girl was still there. The heiress had sat down on her own bed, looking across at her while playing with her signature ponytail and the black ribbon coiled around it. Blake's own hand instinctively drew up to her own white ribbon before she pulled it away.

She shook her head.

"I'm sorry. It's… just a part of my past. You already said that you didn't need to hear about it." The Faunus looked down.

She didn't trust Ozpin with this information. Why should she share it with anyone else?

"Not needing to and not wanting to are distinctly different concepts." Weiss countered. She got up and walked over to the other set of bunks. "Tell me what's wrong? I'm not exactly good at comforting others, but I can at least lend an ear or keep a secret."

Without thinking, Blake began to draw back to her sheets. Realizing what she was doing, the brunette managed to stop herself, bringing herself back as she decided that running this time do anything but make the other girl worry even more.

_But… if she knew…_

Blake's eyes pleaded with Weiss's. Though the heiress began to feel sorry for her teammate, she refused to back down. Not if it left her suffering. "Blake." She said, her tone neutral and her look defiant.

The girl in question winced. There was no going back now. Weiss could see that there was an issue and she wasn't going to let go. Blake let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding as she resigned herself to her fate.

She didn't trust Ozpin with this information and yet... she couldn't see Weiss doing anything bad with it. Maybe... maybe she WOULD feel better if she talked it over with Weiss.

"I… before I left the… the White Fang…" She paused to observe Weiss's reaction, but when the girl's face didn't move, she pushed herself on, "…I had a partner named Adam. He was… he was the closest person I had in my life at the time, but, as the years went by…" She lost her voice before swallowing and starting again, "…as the years went by, h-he… he just changed into something else and… I know that I don't have any say in who he can be but…"

Blake stopped and looked up at her companion. Weiss was giving her a leveled look, seemingly thoughtful but otherwise indescribable. She gave the Faunus a small nod, as the brunette sucked in another breath, unaware of how little air she was getting.

"…but... it just kept pulling me along and before I knew it, I… I was hurting people. I was hurting people because he told me to and because I thought it was right because he SAID it was right and I-I… I just…"

She looked up again to see the same face, still observing and still thinking, looking straight into her.

Just like she knew Ozpin would have.  _Judging_  her.

Blake couldn't take it anymore. She felt miserable. Tears started to fill her eyes. She tried her best to wipe them away but they kept coming. She couldn't believe she was breaking down in front of someone who, only weeks ago, probably would have enjoyed seeing a former member of the White Fang falling apart like this. She covered her face, being unable to stop the flow of tears and choked out several sobs.

"I… I wanted to b-become something better here. I w-wanted to… to make up f-for all the people I've… I've..."

This had been a terrible idea.

She jolted as a pair of arms wrapped around her head…

…and pulled her into the heiress's chest.

She slowly felt the pressure of the bow wrapped around her ears release. A hand brushed her long hair, occasionally caressing the white ribbon near her face. Any touch that made contact with her feline ears was silk-like.

Slowly, Blake's heartbeat began to reach a steadier pace. She closed her glazed eyes as a rumble built up in her throat.

Meanwhile, Weiss was panicking again. Attempting to help Blake HAD calmed her down, as it got her mind off the uncomfortable exchanges before. She managed to keep herself composed throughout Blake's story and she knew that this technique would calm the Faunus down or at least keep her mind off of her… misery.

But, instinctively, she couldn't shake the feeling of taboo; the feeling that she REALLY shouldn't be doing this.

Yet, somehow, she felt like being with Blake was the one place where she could simply not worry about the rest of the world. Without its influence crushing her or demanding her attention.

Frankly, it made no sense. She was a Schnee; not just any Schnee but the heiress to the head of the Schnee Dust Company itself, with all its controversies with the Faunus almost common knowledge amongst the people of Remnant, herself included. For her to feel comfortable around a Faunus, specifically one that apparently had a major past with her father's company…

Yet, just as she had felt the night Blake had first ran, she couldn't shake the feeling that they had more in common than meets the eye. Of course, there were obvious differences between the two, yet somehow… Weiss thought back to the night in question.

… _like looking in a mirror…_

Weiss searched through her mind, trying to make some sense of all of this. Granted, this wasn't the only times she'd ever felt at ease; it had occurred plenty of other times at the academy, particularly when she was with her team. Her friends. Even the massive food fight had almost felt therapeutic. Yet right now… she pondered to herself what the exact cause was, attempting her best to skirt around the most obvious answer that was her teammate.

Her teammate that was now grasping her arms incredibly hard.

The heiress hadn't realized how much she'd relaxed until she felt Blake tightened her grip, pulling herself up further into the embrace and purring loudly just as she had the other day. Weiss immediately questioned how long she'd drifted off as she sat down on the brunette's bunk, moving the Faunus into a more comfortable position on her lap and resumed stroking the curtain of black hair.

_Wait,_  she thought,  _wasn't I JUST freaking out about this?_

She most certainly wasn't anymore. Realizing, however, that she couldn't simply rub Blake's head forever, Weiss thought through every piece of information she'd processed throughout the school year to try and find a solution to Blake's distress, finally stopping on the night she'd found the girl fighting at the pier, attacking what were likely her former allies.

"Hey," she spoke up, receiving a response as the feline ears on top of Blake's head flew up. "If you're worried about the White Fang, maybe we should go after that Torchwick? If he seems to be working with them, well… maybe we could take him down?"

Weiss bit her lip at her own comment. They were STUDENTS, not full-fledged huntresses. The thought of engaging in vigilantism against a robber also rubbed her the wrong way. Particularly, a robber with an apparently spotless escape record and knowledge that could fend off multiple opponents. However, they DID seem to have more experience fighting the criminal than conventional law enforcement and if it would put her teammate's mind to ease…

Thankfully, this lessened the death grip on Weiss's arms (though it had still left a bit of a mark) and Blake began pulling away a bit. She blinked residual tears from her eyes as she gave a small nod.

Blake sniffled as she rubbed another tear from her eye. This was the second time she'd let herself be overcome by her instincts and she felt ashamed of herself. Still, not wanting to seem unappreciative of the help, she inquired, "I thought you said you weren't good at comforting others."

"I'm  _not_." Weiss replied, frowning and placing a hand on Blake's shoulder. "It's just… well, it seems that I'm not the same person I was a few weeks ago. I guess this school just sort of does that to people."

The pressure on Blake's mind began to ease. The thought of having that madman behind bars was somewhat comforting to her. As was the confidence being instilled in her by Weiss.

Her muscles began to loosen up as she laid her head on her teammate's chest, her thoughts beginning to focus on the soft thumping of the heart next to her ear.

…

"You guys can come in now."

A cry of shock and a thud was the response from beyond the room's door before it slowly creaked open. Ruby and Yang stood in the doorway, smiling guiltily.

Blake froze up.  _How long were they out there? Did they here ALL of that?_  Her cheeks glowed pink as she released herself from Weiss's hold. She placed her hands on top her knees and kept her amber eyes glued to the floor, not daring to look up at her leader and her partner.

Weiss, however, had correctly guessed that the sisters had followed her back to the dorm. In fact, she would have been pretty surprised if they hadn't, giving the girls' personalities. The heiress rose to her feet and walked over to the door to greet the rest of her team.

"So, uh, where should we start?" Ruby asked, aware to a certain degree of the conversation over the last few minutes. She brought up a hand and scratched the back of her head, a gesture that seemed to be reflexive by now. She gave an apologetic look, though there was still a spark of relief and confidence dancing in her silver eyes.

Weiss smiled as she looked back at Blake, then returned her gaze to her leader. "Well, I suppose we could start planning right now."


	8. A Minor Hiccup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 3, 'A Minor Hiccup'**

* * *

 

Weiss couldn't help but look down at her scroll all throughout Port's class. Today was the day and the upcoming operation had occupied her mind throughout all of her classes. They were going to begin after the end of this period. She checked her scroll again.  _Just one more minute…_

"Hey, Weiss!"

_Uuugh._

Weiss didn't acknowledge JNPR's leader as he slid over to her, a nervous smile plastered across his face. Instead, she furrowed her brows, hoping she might be able to speed up time with her mind.

She briefly considered using a time glyph on the clock.

Or an acceleration glyph to launch the blonde boy through the roof.

Somehow, in the span of a minute, Jaune asked her to go out to THREE separate events with him. Never mind the fact that she had something of major importance to do today, she could barely stand him sitting next to her for that period alone.

"Uh, Weiss, did you hear me?"

The heiress shot a glare at the love-struck boy, making him flinch. She stressed her words even as they came out as a hushed whisper… well, more of a hiss. "No to anything related to going with you after class. Yes to hearing every…" she managed to bite back her language, "word you just said."

Thankfully, the bell rang and Port managed to wrap up the class he was… supposed to be teaching, even though he treated it like story time. Weiss passed by the blonde boy as his head fell onto the desk.

"I've got a thing to do with Blake and the rest of my team. Maybe you should ask Pyrrha. Or someone else on your team. I'm sure  _they'd_  love to go with you."

Weiss didn't want to encourage him to think he had a chance, but she didn't want to leave without at least making his mind to focus on something else. If Jaune kept thinking about her, he'd likely just keep up the pestering and flirting.

And who knew? The red-haired ace and her wimpy partner/excuse for a leader (at least HER OWN partner/leader could fight well and understood her responsibilities, even if that didn't always seem to be the case…) have already been training most nights on the dorm's rooftop. Weiss felt that if anyone could remove his unhealthy attachment to her, it was the boy's own team.

As she walked out of the classroom and back towards her dorm room, her thoughts on flirting went back to Neptune. Even if he was smarter than most, as Sun claimed before, Weiss still had standards. Or at least a type.

Intelligent. Mysterious. Calm. Thoughtful. Trustworthy.

"Hey, Weiss!"

Weiss turned around as Blake caught up to her. The girl was smiling, which was surprising given recent events. The energy she gave off was even more so.

It managed to make Weiss smile as well.

"Today's the day. Time to put that criminal in his place!"

"Whoa, slow down Belladonna." Weiss eased the girl's uncanny excitement, even if it was doing a good job of raising her own spirits. "First, we need to figure out where he is and what he's planning. We might not even find anything today."

"I know, but we're bound to find out something. To me, that's progress and it means we'll be closer to putting that maniac behind bars."

The heiress was starting to get concerned at how obsessed Blake was getting with chasing after that Torchwick guy. Sure, she likely wanted revenge for the shipyard incident, but still…

Well, it's making her feel better compared to their episode yesterday. Weiss felt that was enough.

Looking up, she saw Blake walking over to Ruby, the younger girl similarly surprised at Blake's beaming attitude.

Weiss still couldn't believe that this was the teammate that she'd had a falling out with last semester. How could she have believed that a pair of cat ears would have made Blake any less… well, less of a person? Sure, they had BOTH been in the wrong, but the fact that they'd gone from that to their close friendship now… after Blake had put so much trust in her…

Weiss stole a glance at the white ribbon in her cheery teammate's hair.

…it made the heiress feel more than a little happy.

* * *

 

Back at their room, the girls were slipping into their stakeout outfits, each designed to at least throw off their foe as to who they were in the event they were compromised. Blake finished tying one of Gambol Shroud's ribbons around her left wrist and paced past Weiss's bed as the heiress holstered Myrtenaster.

Weiss didn't dare look up at the Faunus; her blush was still obvious against her pale skin from embarrassing herself only minutes ago. She'd suggested that the two of them work together today since they had managed to get along so well over the past few weeks. Blake had simply given her a confused look and reminded her that she was the only one who would be able to gain access to the White Fang meeting. Needless to say, bringing a Schnee anywhere near it would be asking for trouble.

Weiss's mind still reeled in her own mortification. Why hadn't she thought of that? What did she think they would be able to accomplish together?

More specifically, why had she brought it up after only thinking about Blake for a minute?

The team's leader spoke up. "All right, guys! Today's the day! The investigation begins!"

Ruby leaped off of her bunk, having apparently taken the excitement that Blake possessed before, as the Faunus had since calmed down. Weiss pulled herself out of the careless girl's path with a small cry. "I'm glad to see we're taking this  _so_  seriously," she deadpanned, her face returning to its normal scowl.

Yang spoke up from her side of the room, still laying on top of her mattress and locking Ember Celica into its safety mode. "Hey, we've got a plan. That's… moderately serious."

Weiss wanted to snap something back but opted instead to give the brawler a glare that said as much.

Ruby nodded to her elder sister's statement. "Right. Everyone remember their roles?" she inquired, her gaze looking her teammates over.

Weiss gestured to her leader as she restated her orders with a small smirk across her lips. "You and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem."

Of course, Ruby wouldn't be doing much. Weiss had considered just giving her the job alone, with her being able to cover as a 'request from her partner while she was busy.' She had really liked that idea because it meant not having to risk talking to her father. Though, that idea had been cut short when her plans to tag along with Blake had fallen apart.

The Faunus herself moved her hands behind her back as she stoically explained her part, though her expression still showed her anticipation. "The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning."

The rest of her team had been nervous to give this job to Blake. This was, of course, overridden by the lack of available alternatives and the brunette's own shining desire to undertake the task, claiming that, even if she came across someone she had known before, her ears would still be rather unnoticeable in a crowd of Faunus.

Yang crossed her arms as the roll-call rounded to her, confidence radiating off of her. "I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows  _everything_  going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be  _too_  hard."

Similarly to Blake's situation, the other members were slightly opposed to such a risky operation, but considering the fact that she could handle herself and that Ruby seemed to have an idea of who this 'old friend' was, apparently lacking the ability to beat the brawler, they'd given her the go-ahead.

Satisfied with these arrangements, the team's leader pumped a fist to her chest. "Great, we'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we've found. LET'S DO THIS!"

"Yeah!"

All four girls instinctively took a step back and swung their heads towards the unexpected interruption. Sun was hanging upside down by his tail, right outside of their window.

"Sun!" A rather obvious input from Blake.

"How did you get up there?" Yang asked, lacking her usual nonsensical tone to pose a serious question. She was genuinely curious how the monkey boy managed to find their room from the outside.

"Ah, it's easy. I do it all the time." Sun replied, somehow managed to leave the question unanswered.

While slightly annoyed by the boy's lack of feedback, Yang was nowhere near as furious as Weiss was at hearing this. "YOU DO WHAT?" She practically shrieked.

"I climb trees all the time!" Sun answered, like it was the most obvious question in the world.

This didn't placate the heiress as she narrowed her eyes, her suspicion rising due to the boy's complete ignorance the implications of his statement. The blonde Faunus flipped into the room, barely acknowledging the angry look being thrown his way or the air of awkwardness coming from the other three girls.

"So," he started, apparently inserting himself into their previous conversation, "are we  _finally_  getting back at that Torchwick guy?"

" _We_ ," Blake countered, taking a step forwards and moving a hand back at the rest of her team, "are going to investigate the situation." She paused before stressing, "…as a  _team_."

Ruby gave Sun a shrug and an appreciative look. "Sorry, Sun. We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to."

The blonde boy waved this off, scoffing. "That's dumb. You should always get friends involved. That's why I brought Neptune." He threw a thumb over his shoulder and back out the window.

The four girls all give each other confused looks before moving over to the window and looking out, being incredibly shocked to see the blue-haired boy, somehow gripping the brick wall of the dormitories.

Neptune acknowledged Team RWBY with a nod. "Sup?"

Only Ruby managed a response. "How did you even get up here?"

The boy flashed his pearly-white teeth. "I have my ways." He answered smoothly and received four stunned looks in return.

Suddenly, he caught a full view of the three-story drop. His next input was far less incredulous. "Seriously, though, can I come in? We're, like, really high up..."

After practically embarrassing himself by scrabbling into the room, Neptune joined the circle of students, having arranged themselves into pairs as the boys refused to be left out of the mission, claiming a need to get involved in the action and adventures of their new school.

Since Sun was also a Faunus, he was to go with Blake to the meeting. The brunette appreciated the help, as it also served to calm the concern coming from the rest of the team in knowing she'd have close support. Neptune was given to Yang as she was the only one not yet paired up. The Mistral native had other plans, however.

"Say," he spoke up, bringing inquiring looks to him, "maybe Ruby should go with Yang. You know, since they're sisters."

Yang arched an eyebrow. "But… then who would go with Weiss?"

The blue-haired boy smirked. "Well… I suppose  _I_  could accompany her."

After a few exchanges of glances and a pleading of eyes from Weiss, Yang waved off the boy's request and dragged him out of the room, sputtering about suddenly being manhandled by a girl. The remaining four simply exchanged looks.

None of them expected Neptune to survive the journey.

* * *

 

Students roamed the courtyard at the foot of the tower, many running off towards whatever afterschool activities they'd arranged with their teams and friends.

"Wow!" Unfiltered excitement escaped, or rather squeaked, out of the cloaked girl's throat as she threw her head back to stare in wonder at the architectural marvel in front of her. "I forgot how big the transmit tower looks so close!"

The heiress followed her leader with an expression of unbridled pride. Even if she didn't appreciate her family's influence on the world, she still had a healthy amount of patriotism concerning the accomplishments of her nation. "You should see the one in Atlas." Weiss smirked as Ruby turned around to engage her.

"That was the first one, right?"

"Correct. Atlas developed the cross-continental transmit system to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the great war."

"Oooh, look at me. My name is Weiss. I know facts! I'm rich!"

A giggle escaped Ruby's throat as her partner turned around, an amused look plastered across her face as she arched her eyebrow. "Ruby, you… do realize all of those are  _compliments_ , right?" Even when she felt her leader was being foolish, the younger girl's airheaded humor was still at least a  _little_  charming.

Ruby didn't seem to hear her as she got out her scroll, looking back up at her teammate with a smile. "Blake just sent a message. She and Sun made it in without an incident."

Weiss threw her ponytail over her shoulder as she whirled back towards the tower, the black ribbon in her hair flapping in the breeze. As much as she agreed with Ruby on the building's incredible design, she would much rather be back in the library making the call, rather than walking across campus with all the wind and clamor of other students.

She now understood why Blake enjoyed the sanctuary so much.

Weiss turned her head when she heard a cluster of sputters come from Ruby, just as the girl in question stumbled past her trying to catch the phone that she'd somehow managed to drop. Suddenly, the phone went flying through the air and landed at the feet of a redheaded girl.

A redheaded girl who happened to be wearing a rather familiar pink bow.

"Oh." Penny bent over and picked the scroll from the ground, extending it back towards Ruby. "You dropped this," she said with a warm smile.

Ruby's response was to gape at her. "Penny?!"

The odd girl's face fell and she took a step back, her green eyes wide. "Uhhh…"

Ruby didn't give her a chance to escape, grabbing her arms and giving Penny a worried look. "Where have you been?" She asked, her voice laced with concern. "We haven't seen you since the night at the docks!"

The redhead managed to pull herself from Ruby's grip, causing the other girl to step back in shock. "Y-you must have the wrong person." She replied, rubbing her wrists.

Penny let out a hiccup, throwing the scroll she was holding to fly into the air. Ruby scrambled to catch it, her mouth still open. Weiss simply stared at the other girl with a blank expression.

_I knew this girl was odd, but… is this actually serious? She couldn't have forgot Ruby after the night at the docks, at least considering what she told us about her._

"Uh, I've got to go."

Ruby extended a hand outwards as Penny twirled around and ran off, sprinting as though she was late for something.

Weiss threw a glance at her leader. "What was  _that_  about?" She asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

Ruby didn't give her a reply, instead shooting after Penny, leaving a trail of petals behind her.

"Wait!" Weiss cried out after her partner before growling as the red blob disappeared from view.

_Great, now I have to do this alone._

As endearing as her leader may be, she REALLY wished she could've just gone with Blake.


	9. Painting the Town...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 4, 'Painting the Town…'**

* * *

 

Ruby stood in front of her friend, holding Penny's hands covered in torn skin that exposed the metal beneath.

"Penny, of course you're real! You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me?" Ruby leaned forward, her eyes bright and trying her hardest to support her friend. Despite the weight on her mind from this new information, she meant what she said; Penny was conscious and caring and friendly. Surely  _that_  showed how similar they were.

Penny responded only by opening her mouth. Then closing it. Then opening it again. "I don't, um…" Penny leaned forward, causing Ruby to reel back to avoid their foreheads banging together. "You're… taking this  _extraordinarily_ well."

Ruby merely smiled. "You're not like those things we saw back there. You've got a heart and a soul," She emphasized her point by jabbing Penny in the chest, despite the metallic noise it made. "I can feel it!"

Penny took a step back. Worried that the other girl was about to start crying, the cloaked girl was about to reach forward and take her hands again before she was pulling into an…  _incredibly_  strong hug.

"Oh! Oh, Ruby! You're the best friend anyone could have!"

The girl in question groaned. She had narrowly avoided being hit by a truck just before, but her savior had shown the kind of strength it took to stop one in her bare hands.

Bare hands that were now  _crushing_  her against Penny's frame.

The red-haired girl managed to get out a few words, despite the massive pressure against her lungs. "I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower…" Thankfully for her mortality, this comment caused Penny to release her, though she still felt an iron grip on her shoulders as the redhead pulled her out to arm's length.

"Oh, he's very sweet. My father's the one that built me! I'm sure you would just love him!" Penny declared.

Ruby chuckled. "Wow, he built you all by himself?"

She herself had experience with building weapons; after all, she'd built Crescent Rose with only a little help from her uncle. Building another  _person_ , though… That was certainly out of her skill range.

Penny beamed, eager to talk more about herself now that she had someone she could trust with her secret. "Well almost, he had some help from Mr. Ironwood."

Ruby was shocked. She assumed if anyone would have been smart enough to build a human, it would be the headmaster of Atlas himself. Was there someone smarter than the head of Atlas's armed forces AND huntress school?

Then again, Ruby didn't know that many people from Atlas anyhow, other than Mr. Ironwood. And Weiss.

The leader winced. She had only just realized she'd left her partner behind at the school to do their mission by herself. Whilst she'd gone off to talk with Penny. Ruby's face fell further when she realized that she also wouldn't be able to give the excuse that she'd been busy finding Penny was a robot, seeing how Penny probably didn't want her to tell anyone, given how reluctant she'd been to tell  _her_.

Ruby decided that she might as well inquire further, since she'd already spent so much time that Weiss would kill her regardless of when she got back. "The general?" She asked, though she quickly realized how stupid this sounded. Who else would she be talking about?

Thankfully, Ruby's brain worked fast enough to push the conversation along. "Wait, is that why the soldiers were after you?"

Despite the concern in Ruby's voice, Penny cheery attitude didn't falter. "They like to protect me too!"

Ruby scoffed, though relief flowed through her. She was scared that they'd been upset with her over something. Having people be upset with her is the worst, especially when she don't know why.

"They don't think you can protect herself?"  _Seriously, you just stopped a truck only minutes ago!_

Unfortunately, this caused Penny's face to fall, causing the leader to panic a bit. Penny managed an answer, "They're not sure if I'm ready yet."

_Ready? Ready for what?_

Before she tried to inquire further, Ruby heard someone calling down the alleyways. "PENNY?!"

She froze. The guards had caught up with them.

Looking back at her friend, the cloaked girl quickly inspected the torn hands. There was no way they could hide that from the guards. Plus, they would almost certainly take Ruby herself in for questioning and that would mean missing the meet-up with her team.

Acting out of desperation, she yanked on Penny's arm, only to be yanked back in return by the girl's enormous weight. "Penny!" She hissed, keeping her voice low so that the guards wouldn't hear her.

"Hmmm?"

"Come on! We gotta get out of here! We can't let the guards see you with me when you're like this!"

It was hard to keep her voice at a whisper when she needed to say so much, but they couldn't afford to be heard.

Penny looked down at her hands, her eyes shooting wide open. "OH!" She squeaked out. Ruby probably would've been amused by her obliviousness if they didn't need to get out of there.

"Right. Hang on!"

_Wait, hang on?_

Ruby barely processed this before Penny grabbed her. She heard a metallic clink and, looking up, saw two wings tipped with rockets extend out of Penny's back. Suddenly, her feet left the ground as they flew upwards.

Ruby couldn't control her scream as they soared through the air, pulling herself as close as she could to the android. She was used to being launched and flying through the sky, but that was usually on HER terms, with Crescent Rose's recoil to slow herself or alter her trajectory. Now, she was at mercy of wherever Penny wanted to go, as the massive volume of air they sliced through drowned out any attempt to get a word out, wind howling loudly as she tried to stop screaming.

The guards could only look up in shock as they saw something, likely the robot they were supposed to be watching, jet over the alley, engines roaring into the distance along with a shrill shriek that sounded like a young girl.

* * *

 

Sun's blood ran cold. Torchwick was starting STRAIGHT AT HIM.

_Maybe I should've changed into something else before we left._

Extending a hand onto Blake's shoulder and shaking it, the monkey Faunus whispered, "He sees us."

Blake angrily rolled her eyes under her mask.

_Maybe you should've changed into something else before we left, then!_

Roman threw down his cigar to the ground, glowering and moving forward towards the crowd with an odd-looking girl with pink and black hair following closely behind.

Looking around the room, Blake saw what looked like a circuit breaker.  _That'll have to do._  Turning back to Sun, she was shocked to see that the boy had the audacity to  _wave_  at their enemy. Elbowing him sharply and receiving a pain groan in response, she nudged him to look at her target so that he'd know what was coming.

"He can't see in the dark."

Pulling out Gambol Shroud's pistol, Blake fired a shot square into the power box, causing the building to black out. Her vision quickly adjusting, she leaped up and ran across the tops of White Fang recruits as she looked for the exit door, only to see that it was locked shut.

"DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!" Blake heard the order from Torchwick. Thankfully, everyone else was still trying to figure out what was going on, so they had a few seconds to spare. Looking up, she spotting a large, thin window near the ceiling.

"Sun! The window!"

The blonde boy, who was following closely behind, nodded as they ran to the wall. Confused shouts continued as they scaled up towards the glass, not even turning around as they heard mechanical sounds and an engine reeving up.

The duo crashed through the window, bracing as they hit the ground and continued forward. Seconds later, the Paladin smashed its way through the wall and gave chase, Roman sitting inside and smiling manically.

Blake got out her scroll, quickly dialing her other teammates. "Everyone, if you can hear me, we need back-"

"HEEEEEEELP!"

Weiss smirked at her scroll and rolled her eyes. Listening to that blonde fool (well, not  _their_  blonde fool) freaking out was somewhat satisfying, but she quickly dropped the smile as she concentrated on locating Blake's scroll in the city, running out of the elevator and into the courtyard before launching herself into the air with a glyph.

"THEY'VE GOT A ROBOT! AND IT'S BIG! REALLY BIG!"

Ruby smiled down at her scroll, Penny having slowed from mach whatever after the cloaked girl had shaken the android's arms due to her scroll going off. "Come on, Penny, we have to find them!"  _This is gonna be AWESOME!_  She thought, squealing with pure joy at the prospect of fighting a giant machine as Penny banked to the left.

"THAT TORCHWICK GUY'S IN IT! But not like, it didn't eat him… He's like, controlling it or something."

Yang shook her head, already on her bike in front of the club after having gotten no useful information out of Junior, with Neptune looking over her shoulder. "Where are you guys?"

**"HURRRRRYYYYYYY!"**

Yang and Neptune turned around, the sound coming from behind them rather than the scroll. They just managed to catch a glimpse of Blake and Sun running past with said giant following right behind.

Neptune took a second to process this. "Uh-"

He'd barely started before he flew back, a cry of shock coming from the Mistral native's throat, just managing to grab onto the back of Bumblebee as Yang drove off the sidewalk after them, wasting no time.

Managing to regain his composure, Neptune grabbed his gun from his back and shot at the back of the robot. When that had no effect, he balanced on the back of the motorbike, transforming his gun into a glaive. Jumping to the air and launching himself at the robot, the boy managed embed his weapon, now extended into a trident, into the outer shell.

He hung on for dear life as he found himself on an even more erratic mode of transportation than Yang's motorcycle.

As they entered a wide clearing under the highway, Sun turned around. Focusing his aura, his semblance summoned two yellow clones of himself, which grabbed him and send him soaring at the robot, his determination to beat this metal monstrosity returning as he saw his teammate in peril.

Unfortunately, as he glided through the air towards the machine with his staff extended, Torchwick finally managed to throw Neptune off. The two boys collided in mid-air and went flying off to the side.

Yang watched the duo tumble to the ground as she passed them, growling as she herself jumped up on Bumblebee and slammed on the handle brakes with her feet, propelling her forward. Aided by a few blasts backwards from her gauntlets, she sailed over the robot to deliver several shots to the cockpit.

With no effect.

Blake, looking back at her partner, stopped when she heard Weiss's voice from her scroll. "I'm almost there!"

The white-haired girl dropped in from the highway overhead and got out Myrtenaster, her battle stance showing she was ready. Yang landed just behind her, cocking Ember Celica and jumping to the left side. As Roman charged at her, the heiress shot a layer of dust ice from her rapier onto the ground, vaulting to the right as the giant robot slipped on the floe and tumbled over several times.

As the machine regained its footing, Penny and Ruby ran up to the site (having landed nearby to hide Penny's own robotic abilities) and stood their ground as Torchwick approached. The rest of the students, including Sun and Neptune, gathered around the two.

"FREEZERBURN!" Ruby called out. The rest of the group, minus the two mentioned, spread out, giving the pair space to work with.

Yang shot several long-range projectiles at Roman, causing him falter his charge. With this opening, Weiss fired a series of her own shots at the machine, encasing the outside in a thin layer of ice. Then, summoning a white glyph, she slid off to the side as Yang jumped through it, shooting her blasts into the crystals and covering the area in a thick fog, buckling some of the steel plates in the process.

Sight hampered by the fog and slightly disoriented by the sudden attack, Torchwick surveyed the area, moving considerably more slowly with no targets in sight.

His heart lurched when Neptune jumped onto the canopy once more, slamming his electrical blade into the glass twice. "Nothing!" He called back, before being pulled off by one of Sun's spectral clones as a metal fist sailed over the spot he had just been standing.

After Neptune landed next to Sun, both boys shot forward and struck the legs of the automation. The blue-haired boy made a few slashes with his trident while his Faunus teammate shot off several blasts from his gun-chucks for good measure. The pair disappeared into the fog before Roman could retaliate.

The criminal growled in frustration. "What is it with these kids?!" Catching something out of the corner of his eye, Roman hit several of the keys on his right side, the robot launching off a quick volley of missiles.

"LADYBUG!"

Blake landed on top of Crescent Rose, launched upwards by a throw from Ruby. At the peak of her arc, she slammed her dual blades together, creating a shock wave that set off several of the incoming missiles. As she plummeted back towards Ruby, the girl in question stopped firing shots up at the incoming threat and threw her weapon back over her shoulder. Aiming low, she sliced through the air, striking both of Blake's blades and sending off another wave of blasts into the air.

Several explosions erupted as the duo leaped forwards and sliced into the legs of the automation, causing it to stagger.

An large metal arm came down on Blake, who shot away with one of her clones, while the next strike aimed at Ruby missed completely as she forced herself back into the fog with the sniper's recoil. Another round of missiles launched out the top of the machine.

"ICE FLOWER!"

Several black glyphs appeared on the paths of the projectiles, each one setting off the devices with a bang. Ruby jumped back onto a white glyph, another three blue ones prepared in front of her that she fired through in mid-air, the bullet hitting the robot and exploding into a flurry of large crystals of ice.

As the fog finally subdued, Yang jumped on top of the machine and shot several blasts directly onto the canopy, once again failing to shatter it. Not one to be caught off guard a second time, Roman, despite the considerable difficulty in moving the ice-encased robot, managed to catch Yang with its right arm and sent her straight into one of the overpass's pillars.

Blake looked on in horror. "Yang!" She called out, rushing forward only to be stopped by her leader's arm extending out in front of her.

"Don't worry, Blake. Just watch."

The brunette barely had anytime to respond when Yang's feet hit the ground. Her hair was alight and her eyes turned blood red. Clenching her teeth, the burning blonde girl blasted her way forwards. Torchwick barely drew back his machine's limb to strike when Yang launched herself up with her gauntlets, smashing apart the robot's right arm and sending chunks of metal scattering across the ground.

As Yang shot past, Neptune, Blake and Ruby fired more bullets at the canopy, attempting to gain the criminal's attention while Sun stood off to the side, gripping his staff in the event the machine charged at them. With Torchwick distracted, Penny ran up to the back of the robot and threw her arms out on both sides. Several swords, seeming to hover in mid-air, flew out of an opening on her tiny backpack and sliced into the back of the Paladin. Frustrated, Roman turned the machine around and launched one more salvo of missiles. The quirky redhead threw one of her swords of towards a pillar and embedded in into the concrete, pulling her out of the blast zone by an invisible line while simultaneously pulling the automation with her.

Penny landed on her feet in an elegant slide, her floating swords returning to form a circle in front of her. The other students could only gape as a massive laser charged up and shot from the center of the circle, blasting apart the left arm of the Paladin and causing Torchwick to go flying back in his machine as it faltered once more. The redhead circled around to the right side and lodged her swords into the metal monster, pulling it back upwards with Roman having lost all control over movement.

Ruby looked around to see Sun, Neptune, Blake and Weiss looking at Penny in complete and utter shock. The cloaked leader grinned before calling out another order.

"BUMBLEBEE!"

Snapped out of her amazement by the word, Blake looked around and spotted Yang running towards her bike.

"YANG!" The brunette shouted. The brawler stopped her tracks, turning around. Her eyes still glowed crimson but her face showed an ambitious grin, which fell immediately upon receiving a glare from her partner. "Just stick to the plan!"

Blake threw her pistol-sword at Yang, wrapped by her wrist's ribbons and firing off to make it accelerate to the burning blonde. Yang caught it and shot behind herself with her gauntlets, soaring over Blake's head and causing Weiss to duck out of the way.

They made one orbit, at the nearest point launching several shots from Ember Celica and Gambol Shroud's pistol to dent and buckle the armor as ice seeped in between the plates of metal. After one more orbit and several more shots for good measure, Yang was thrown directly at the legs of the immobilized walker, punching straight through the weakened limbs and smashing them to bits. This sent the body rolling along the ground. Already so battered, it broke apart.

Roman managed to emerge from the wreck only slightly annoyed.

He had the audacity to groan, brushing dust off of himself. "Man.  _Just_  got this cleaned!"

Yang, who had landed among the wreckage of the metal scrap, wasted little time. Her eyes still glowing red, she launched a long-range shot at their target.

The blast erupted, but when the smoke cleared, a girl holding an open parasol stood between Roman and the blonde girl.

_That's the girl from before…_  Blake thought to herself, eyes narrowing as this new opponent joined the fight. Torchwick cracked a smile.

"Ladies. Ice Queen."

"HEY!"

"Always a pleasure. Neo, if you would."

The pink-and-black-haired girl, who was apparently named Neo, bowed to the group.

Ruby reloaded her sniper-scythe as she made her call.

"CHECKMATE!"

Weiss launched a time glyph under Blake's feet, sending the other girl bolting forward. Sending another blue glyph in front of her teammate, the brunette suddenly had two ice clones on either side of her. She jumped into the air and extended out a kick in unison with her copies. A closed parasol blocked Blake and her clones' strikes, stopping the blow with enough force that the cat Faunus had to bite back a groan.

Suddenly, Neo's heterochromatic eyes switched.

Before she could process what just happened, Blake was flying backwards and hit the ground, crying out in pain. Weiss threw a glyph forward, trying to pull her teammate back, only for their opponent to fly forwards with an incredible speed and skewer the Faunus girl with a sword extending out the top of her umbrella.

" **BLAKE!"**  Several cries came out at once.

Weiss's arm was still extended outwards, tears about to fall from her eyes, when she was suddenly struck by a large object. Both it and Weiss tumbled across the ground, skidding to a stop at the base of Sun and Neptune's feet, the boys skittering back.

The heiress opened her glazed eyes, only to be met by the sight of a large white ribbon, contrasted by the black hair behind it. Suddenly, it shifted out of sight as golden eyes enveloped her view.

Weiss could only stare at her Faunus teammate, looking down to the sight of a bloodless stomach, before burying herself into the brunette's chest in relief, having completely forgotten the battle in the knowledge that her teammate was alright.

A bright blush broke out across Blake's face, the girl being too stunned by this gesture to respond.

Smoke rose from around the bladed edge of the Neo's umbrella as Blake's shadow clone disappeared.

"CRIMSON SUNSET!"

"RUBY!"

"UGH! ALRIGHT FINE, YANG! STRAWBERRY SUNRISE!"

If she hadn't been busy nuzzling into Blake's bosom at that moment, Weiss would have smacked herself in the forehead. Only now did she realize how stupid Yang's name idea sounded in the thick of battle.

_Guess it's too late to opt for Crimson Sunset now…_

Relief still flowing off her, Weiss managed to draw her head away from Blake to see her blonde teammate whirling around on Crescent Rose as Ruby spun before launching her at their target. Yang let out an angry shout as her hair lit up again.

Unfortunately, Team RWBY's master plan of throwing Yang at every opponent failed as she instead punched straight through… a glass wall.

Tumbling along the ground and looking around at her surroundings, the still-blazing brawler managed to catch sight of an airship leaving sight with both opponents on board.

**Yet again.**

* * *

 

Weiss had just barely let go of Blake when their two other teammates, Yang having apparently cooled down, embraced the Faunus, nearly sending her back to the ground. Yet again.

Blake jolted as a hand steadied her back. She turned her head to meet a pair of dark blue eyes. Sun smiled, a relieved look on his face. "I'm glad you're alright."

Neptune stood behind the monkey Faunus and gave her a nod.

Blake didn't respond, instead opting to look down at her feet as her teammates released her.

With Penny standing off to the side, the students looked at each other, clearly still trying to figure out what had just happened. Deciding to break the silence, Yang spoke up. "So… I guess he got a new henchman."

Weiss looked up, her tears already cleared, and smiled. She wanted to clear the harsh mood in the air, though her voice still shook when she addressed the blonde's comment.

"Yeah," she said, causing the others to turn towards her, "I guess she really made our plans…  _fall apart?_ "

Ruby let out a suppressed cackle. Blake merely squeezed her eyes shut as her bow flattened. The two boys shared a look of concern. Penny was smiling, but her face hadn't changed enough for the heiress to gauge whether she'd liked the pun. Weiss gave an expectant grin to Yang, only to be met by a frown. The brawler's brows furrowed to accent her sudden and uncharacteristic glare.

"No. Just… No."

Weiss was caught off guard. "Wha- But you do it."

"There's a time and a place for jokes."

The Ice Queen brought up a hand, gesturing in an attempt to defend her statement. "Was this not it?"

The blonde girl's dark expression finally broke and a wave of relief came over the heiress. "No, it just wasn't very good." Yang lied, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards.

Recognizing the teasing tone, Weiss attempted (and failed) to feign frustration. "Well, at least I'm trying!"

It was only a few more seconds until both broke out into laughter, joined in by Ruby and then by Penny. Blake retained a bit of her agitated look but managed to smirk and let out a small chuckle.

Weiss and Yang both shot to attention when Neptune spoke up from behind the heiress.

"Okay, so… what was…" The Mistral native took a step forward, gesturing to… all of Yang, "…that?"

"My semblance." The blonde girl replied.

"…what?" Blake's ears twitched under her bow in confusion.

"Her semblance!" Ruby grabbed onto her sister's shoulder as she bounced to bring her face up over it, causing Yang to almost lose her footing. "When she gets really hurt or mad, she gets stronger and her hair catches fire and her eyes go all red! Like when Torchwick's robot hit her!"

Blake's look darkened once more at the mention of the criminal who had, once again, evaded their capture. Weiss stole a worried glance at the Faunus girl as she looked to the sky in the direction that Torchwick and Neo's airship had left.

Yang elbowed her little sister in retaliation, causing the girl to let out a sputter as she fell back into Penny. The quirky girl caught her arm and helped her regain her balance.

"And her?" Sun waved a hand over to Penny.

The redheaded girl's eyes flew open as several gazes rested on her, letting go of Ruby to address this subject change.

She suddenly felt incredibly nervous from all of the attention.

"Uh…" She managed to get out, taking a step back before Ruby put her hand on her shoulder, though significantly gentler than she had with Yang.

"That was  _her_  semblance!" Ruby exclaimed as her metallic friend gave her a look of gratitude. She gushed on. "She can use metal to produce energy and launch lasers from it! Isn't she incredible?!"

The number of arched eyebrows certainly suggested so.

The monkey Faunus, who had been the one to put her on the spot, voiced his thoughts. "Yeah, it was! I've never seen somebody with such a powerful semblance before!" He could barely contain his excitement, his hands grabbing the sides of his head. "A laser semblance; that's amazing!"

Despite her significantly less welcoming expression, Blake perked up a little. "Yeah, thanks for helping us out." She received a shy grin from Penny before turning to Sun and Neptune. "You guys too. We appreciate it."

Sun gave off a toothy grin and puffed his bare chest out while Neptune simply smirked and gave a thumbs up.

Suddenly, Blake was pulled into a hug with the rest of her team, initiated by her blonde partner. Ruby chuckled while Weiss sputtered out something about Yang being too physical.

_Physical_. That word blindsided Blake. She  _really_  didn't want to hear the heiress say that word after… well…

She just sighed, blowing out her breath to try to get the Weiss's ribbon-bound ponytail off of her face.

Though she tried to suppress it with a scowl, a small bit of pink still lingered on her expression.

 


	10. Extracurricular

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 5, 'Extracurricular'**

* * *

 

Trying to block out the static that had been plaguing her mind over the past week or so, Weiss decided to focus on her classmates. Looking down at the pit below, she watched as Pyrrha practically smashed in the faces of Team CRDL.

If they weren't such jerks, she might've felt sorry for how badly the ace was effortlessly dominating them.

Well aware of how the fight would go and not interested in mentally grading Pyrrha's already perfected moves, her gaze shifted to the right, conveniently ignoring the mess of black hair that had been part of the cause for much of the static on her brain.

Jaune was looking out at his partner below, with Nora cheering like a sports fan to his right and Ren sitting at the end of the bench looking very impressed. Though Weiss had expected the content look on the blonde boy's face from seeing Cardin Winchester getting thrown around like a rag doll, she was surprised at how seriously the reckless leader was taking the fight. His eyes tracked every movement that seemed to occur within the arena, occasionally looking down to write something on his notepad before looking back up when he heard one of the outmatched fools grunt in pain or his partner let out a shout of exhilaration.

Weiss almost felt impressed. Especially when she realized he hadn't actually bothered her over the past couple of days.

Maybe he was finally catching on.

Then, she heard a familiar voice. It seemed that the blonde wasn't the only one over-analyzing Pyrrha's moves.

"Look at that strike. She knows what she's doing. If we'd just talked with JNPR after Sun showed up, we…"

"Blake."

Weiss was rather surprised that her  _Faunus_  teammate seemed more interested in Pyrrha Nikos's  _form_  than the fact that CARDIN WINCHESTER was getting the snot kicked out of him.

The brunette closed her eyes and sighed. She'd been studying the class ace's form, as Professor Goodwitch had suggested to them, and had been muttering to  _herself_ , but the look Weiss had shot her was edged with frustration and concern.

Blake didn't understand why.

Okay, so she hadn't gotten much sleep the past few nights. She had been shocked by the massive bags that were forming under her eyes and her hair looked like a mess even after she'd brushed it. She'd accidently tied up her hand that morning while trying to wrap her white ribbon into her locks.

She'd definitely tried to sleep throughout the week, though. Yet every time she had closed her eyes at night, she saw that mocking smile on Torchwick's face, flaring up her anger. And that Neo, her eyes flashing with that stupid smirk on... on her…

Despite the boiling of her blood at these thoughts, Blake felt herself falling to fatigue. In spite of the enormous amount of effort she was putting into staying upright, her head came to rest on the heiress's shoulder, only managing to hear the small squeak of shock because her bound feline ears were right next to her teammate's mouth.

She'd never realized how comfy Weiss's shoulder was.

Weiss herself couldn't do anything but tense up. This was the first sleep Blake had seemed to have gotten in days so, of course, she didn't dare wake her.

That particular thought wasn't making her any less flustered as the brunette nuzzled against her arm.

More importantly, however, it had taken her a few hours to realize the other day that she'd rubbed herself all over... well…

She'd tried to shake the embarrassment by applying pure logic: she'd been scared for Blake's life (though she felt foolish for doing so; it was Blake after all), she was in the heat of battle, she'd just been bowled over by Blake, she wasn't thinking straight.

The thing was, most of those excuses were perfectly reasonable. That wasn't the issue.

The issue was that  _her mind kept going back to Blake. And it was mortifying to think about._

She definitely hadn't been thinking straight since then, anyhow. Especially whenever she noticed her own black ribbon in the mirror.

Or the way Blake's chest bounced with each sleepy breath.

Wrenching her stare away once more, with all her might, and doing her best to ignore the quiet snoring of the girl leaning against her, Weiss turned her gaze over to her other teammates.

Yang sat immediately to her left, the blonde brawler showing a satisfied smirk at the display below. Ruby was certainly enjoying herself, as the cloaked girl shouted out the occasional word of encouragement to her red-haired friend.

Not that she seemed to need it, of course.

Weiss quickly decided that keeping her eyes on the two sisters would be better for her sanity, rather than…

_Surely, this couldn't be anything other than hormones, right?_

Eventually, the match ended with a victory for Ms. Nikos, to absolutely nobody's surprise. As Professor Goodwitch scanned the room, she set her eyes on Blake, who was still sleeping on Weiss's shoulder. Her expression set in stone, her commanding voice reached up to the stands easily.

"Ms. Belladonna."

Blake's eyes shot open and somehow kept her ears under her bow from moving, likely through years of training. She sat straight up, barely catching her book as it nearly fell out of her lap; tired or not, she was trained just like every other student to fear the discipline of Beacon's harshest professor.

She woke up so fast that she hadn't even realized that she'd been sleeping on Weiss's shoulder.

Glynda's eyes narrowed. She was not one to tolerate students sleeping during her sessions. "You've been rather…  _docile_  these last few classes." Blake bristled at the word 'docile', but the sharp look coming from her teacher forced her to break contact from a battle she couldn't have won even if she wasn't on the verge of fainting from exhaustion. Her mind remained clouded and she didn't think she'd make it down the steps to the arena without falling on her face and embarrassing herself in front of the rest of the class.

Goodwitch's command barely concealed her annoyance. "Why don't you-"

"I'll do it."

The professor moved her gaze to the source of this interruption. A silver-haired young man was standing in the back row, raising his arm lazily.

Blake didn't know the student; apparently he was Emerald's partner, though even then, she only knew the green-haired girl through Ruby.

Professor Goodwitch adjusted her glasses. "Mercury, is it?" She briefly considered Blake before deciding that a volunteer would certainly perform better in combat than the half-awake brunette; she'd just have to think of a punishment for the girl later. "Very well. Let's find you an opponent."

Blake silently thanked the other student for taking her place. She could only just keep herself awake, even with the professor's icy glare on her. She was so relieved that she plopped back down on Weiss's shoulder with a sigh.

The heiress hissed in pain. Internal flustering aside, Blake had practically thrown her entire weight on her shoulder. Still, the renewed thought of her teammate's exhaustion turned the annoyance into concern. She looked back at her other two teammates, both of whom had noticed Blake's condition by now.

Ruby and Yang could only return her worried look.

Only a few more minutes of class passed before the bell yanked Blake from her slumber. Oblivious once more to the source of her pillow, she gathered her books up as Glynda mentioned something about a dance and a mission as she followed her team out the door. They only managed to make it a few steps out the building before something caught her shoulder.

"Hey Blake! What's up?"

The girl in question furrowed her brows. She was  _definitely_ not in the mood to be dealing with other people right now.

Turning around, Blake came face to face with Sun. The monkey Faunus gave her a sheepish yet peppy grin. "What do you want, Sun?" Blake snapped, taking the boy aback. He hadn't noticed the bags under her eyes until now.

Sun rubbed the back of his head, not sure what to say after receiving such a harsh rebuttal for his greeting. Deciding that something was wrong by from her looks and her tone, he tried to diffuse the tension. Clearing his throat, he started, "Say, uh, you heard about that dance this weekend, right? Seems pretty boring if you ask me." He started to sweat as Blake simply narrowed her eyes at his words. "But, I mean, if the two of us went together, you know, it might be kinda… fun?"

The cat Faunus couldn't help but shake her head. She only barely understood what he was asking her over the constant tumbling over his own words, but the suggestion only made her steam. Sun had only just blown their cover to Torchwick the other day and now he had the NERVE to ask her with him to a dance she didn't care about? That HE didn't care about?! Even as her vision clouded with fatigue, she fixed her fiercest grimace at the boy. Her blood began boiling once again as she imagined the last guy that had asked her out on a date. The last person she'd been in a relationship with.

"I don't have time for a  _stupid_  dance." Blake hissed through her teeth, making Sun nearly jump out of his skin. He definitely hadn't been expecting THAT kind of answer, despite her sour mood. He reached out a hand, trying to say something in a vain attempt to salvage something out of the train-wreck of a conversation, but the brunette was already marching off, looking like she was about to tear the notebook in her arms in half.

Weiss's eyes followed her teammate as she stormed off in the direction of the dorms, heeled boots clicking hard against the stone path. The heiress swung her head back towards Sun, who had his own head down and his arms hanging limply. For once, she felt sympathy for the boy; she knew Blake wasn't thinking clearly and he had likely taken the brunt of her frustration. Her mind immediately flew back to their talk about Torchwick, who she'd figured over the past few days was likely the source of the Faunus girl's rage and self-torment. She looked back at Ruby and Yang, whose gazes were also following after their friend.

"Hey," The sisters jolted at Weiss's voice, but focused their attentions back on her to hear what she had to say. "Maybe we should talk with her. I mean, she's certainly not in the mood, but she CAN'T keeping doing this to herself."

Ruby look down at the ground, gripping her skirt. She'd tried to get Blake to do something with the team every day since their battle with Torchwick and Neo, but she'd had little more success than Sun himself had just had. "Uh, okay. But what are we gonna say?"

Yang shuffled her feet, crossing her arms and drawing herself deep into thought. Then her face lit up. "Guys, I've got an idea." She suddenly shouted, throwing her arms around Ruby and Weiss (despite the latter's weak protests) as she whispered a plan in their ears.

As Yang drew out her idea for her sister and her teammate, Sun looked up as he received a pat on the back. He was surprised to find Jaune, of all people, looking down on him with a frown laced with sympathy.

"Hey, Sun. Can we talk?"

* * *

 

"You want me to do WHAT?"

Blake's team winced as she suddenly raised her voice. Admittedly, Yang had predicted that she'd dislike the suggestion, but she'd also expected a much lighter protest than Sun had received.

Yang and Ruby sat on Weiss's bunk while Blake and Weiss were on Blake's side. The Faunus girl was looking at them like they'd all just turned into three-headed Nevermores.

And considered how tired she was, that very well could have been what she was seeing.

Despite the severe edge on her friend's voice, Ruby pressed on. "We want you to come to the dance. With the rest of us. We'll go together as a team."

Even though Blake's glare didn't change, Yang appreciated her sister's optimism and continued. "Since Team CFVY is still out on their mission, Ozpin said Weiss and I could host the dance. We'll make sure to pick every one of your favorite songs and we'll all hang out and have fun the entire night! We even order your favorite tuna sandwiches for the buffet! Then we can go back to looking for that Torchwick guy after some well-earned rest!"

Her confidence was shattered as Blake's expression changed from 'sickened' to 'ready to spit fire.' Thankfully, Weiss picked up for her. "Seriously, Blake, you're being ridiculous. I know you wanted to catch Torchwick and be done with this, but even if he isn't behind bars, we've gotten a lot further than we could've hoped for on our first mission." She stood up and placed a hand on Blake's shoulder, in spite of the tingling heat she felt on her fingertips. "You need to relax. Please, do it for your own health. Even if not for that, do it for the rest of us. We can't stand to see you like this."

Eyeing the hand squeezing her shoulder, Blake didn't move for a second before closing her eyes. She managed a ragged breath. When she opened her eyes again, she glanced at each of her teammates one last time, letting out another sigh.

"You guys are the ones being ridiculous."

And with that, Blake got up and left, slamming the room's door behind her. Even as she entered the hall, she set her face in stone. She didn't need her friend's pity; she needed their help. If they were going to fool around at a school dance, fine. She could finish the investigation alone. She kept up her pace even as she started to sway back and forth from dizziness.

Back in the room, Weiss could already guess what Blake's issue was.

_She's attaching all her self-worth to beating Torchwick, to the detriment of herself. She thinks we're pitying her. We're not PITYING her, we care about her; she's our friend!_

Her hands balled up in anger.

_What doesn't she understand about that?!_

Still standing, Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, eyes fluttering closed as she lost herself in frustration. Yang, with a look of defeat, spared a glance at her sister, who looked like she was about to burst into tears. Throwing an arm around her younger sibling, she drew Ruby into an open embrace, the girl managing to hold back sobs from seeing her friend in such a state. The small gasps brought Weiss's attention back, her frown melting from one of resentment to something more… tender, rarely seen from the heiress.

Just as she was about to walk over and reassure her leader, three knocks came from the door. Weiss looked up and, being the one standing and closest to the door, stomped over and grabbed the knob.

_I swear, Blake, if you think you're going to get off easily after THAT…_

When she opened the door, however, the person behind it managed to make her flare up even more than she'd been expecting to.

Jaune stood in the hallway, a nervous smile plastered across his face.

The only reason Weiss didn't strangle him immediately was because she was too busy trying to determine why she was so angry at him. Thankfully, her vicious thoughts died down as she drew in a deep breath. Still, she drew up her lip in a snarl as she growled. "WHAT?"

Jaune gulped. He knew this wasn't the best time. He should run. He should definitely be running right now. Weiss was angry about something and it probably involved him. His face showed his severe lack of desire to do this; however, he knew he had to get this over with. It needed to be confirmed. He shook his head as he gathered up an almost inconceivable amount of courage.

"Weiss Schnee, do you want to go out? Not just to the dance, but, like, go out."

The words tumbled out quickly and the boy braced himself.

If Weiss didn't know better, she would've thought several veins in her head had just popped. And to think she'd given the blonde boy the benefit of the doubt that morning, too! Several graphic images flashed through her mind, many of which ended with JNPR's leader laying on the floor in pain and possibly a pool of blood. She turned herself to look for her rapier, only to catch the sight of Ruby's head in her hands, Yang rubbing her partner's shoulder and looking down at her with glazed eyes, unsure of what to do to comfort her younger sister.

Reasoning that murdering another student in front of her fifteen-year old friend would almost certain traumatize them (and herself, probably) Weiss somehow managed to recompose herself. She didn't let up her glare, however.

"NO. Never. Not in a million years. I'm going with my teammates, anyway."

_Though whether Blake is coming is…_

"Okay, thanks."

Weiss blinked. Then she blinked again. Had… she wasn't hearing things, was she? She searched Jaune's face, finding closure with a slightly heartbroken smile. She stuck her head out the hallway door and looked in both directions. The heiress arched an eyebrow. "Uh… you're welcome?"

Immediately, the bumbling blonde put his hands together in the stance of plea. "Right. I'm sorry for not noticing earlier."

Weiss dropped her brow.  _Okay, so maybe he HAD caught on. Bit late, but if it meant being free from his obnoxious flirting, so be it._

Crossing her arms, she rattled her brain for a response to this. "It's… fine. Whatever. Can you go now?"

Jaune looked up, clearly glad to still be standing. He set a hand on his heart as he tried to calm himself. "Yeah. Sorry. I just wanted to say congratulations before I go."

Okay, now Weiss was confused.  _Really_  confused.  _What was there to celebrate? Am I missing something here?_

Deciding her mind would find nothing of use on its own, she managed a less enraged expression. "What do you mean?"

Jaune suddenly looked very nervous. He seemed to be finding the rest of the hallway very interesting all of a sudden. "Oh, well, I meant congrats for finding someone you love. You know? Now that you and Blake are dating!"

Weiss closed her eyes, satisfied with the answer. "Well, if that's the cas-"

_WAIT, WHAT?!_

The heiress fixed the blonde leader with the most dumbfounded expression he might have ever seen. He chuckled a bit and rubbed his neck. "Yeah, Sun and I were talking about how close you and Blake have become. I noticed your matching ribbons the other day and, since you guys seem to be rejecting everyone else, including the two of us, we were able to figure ou-"

***BAM***

Team RWBY's door slammed in Jaune's face, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Ruby's head came out of her hands from the loud noise. She and Yang looked up as Weiss walked slowly back to the other bunk, sitting down. The brawler, who hadn't actually been paying attention to the conversation at the door, figured she must have exploded at Team JNPR's leader. She was about to make an quip about her 'Ice Queen' nickname until she realized the heiress was staring at the ground with a questionable amount of consciousness in her eyes.

In truth, however, Weiss's mind was going at speeds unmatched by even Ruby's semblance, her face rivaling the red color of said girl's cloak.

_Wha- Blake?! What does he- how- why would I- I-_

Gripping her knees as her knuckles started to turn white, she tried in vain to restart her mind and settle her attention on anything else. After what felt like several minutes, her heartbeat finally slowed to a point where she could finally hear herself think again.

_Okay, deep breaths. Deep breaths. Okay. No, okay. It's alright. It's fine. It's fine. Everything's fine. Jaune's just being an idiot. Nothing new there._

And yet she couldn't shake the cloudiness in her mind.

_What possessed him to think up something like that?! He mentioned Sun? Blake blew up at him this morning. And from that they just assumed…_

The scarlet blush working its way up Weiss's face sprawled out to reach her ears.

_They… assumed… but earlier I was… I…_

The incident from the other day flew into her mind.

Weiss brought her hands to her temples as she grimaced. She could logic her way out of this again. Definitely.

She'd had only ever considered romance when her father had introduced her to each of her many suitors, trying to find a future fiance for his successor. However, even throughout her high-school years, Weiss never found anyone she could claim she'd 'fallen' for. Each guy had something wrong with him, something that just seemed off. For most of them, it was their hidden motives she could sense from how they talked with her. Like they could only see the gold in her name. Sure, some of them seemed to genuinely like her, but she never recuperated the flirting with anything more than slight curiosity or vague interest.

And that was just ROMANTIC infatuation.

_Does that make me bisexual?_

_I've never thought of a guy like that; would that make me a lesbian?_

_DOES THAT EVEN MATTER?_

She thought as she fell back onto the mattress beneath her, the back of her hand over her forehead. The heiress drew her hands down and caressed her ponytail, her fingers unconsciously tracing the outline of the black ribbon.

_I mean, sure, her hair is really beautiful. And her cat ears are adorable. And her amber gaze makes my body feel light. And I bet she looks really cute when she blushes. And she's got an impressive bust…_

Okay, she wasn't doing a good job of thinking her way out of this.

ASSUMING that she'd ever fall for her teammate, Blake was a Faunus. She might not care about that fact anymore, but Blake had previously been a high-ranking individual of an organization that was her family's main adversary. An organization that still expressed a gracious amount of hatred for the Schnee name. Hatred for her  _father_. And even worse, that hatred would most certainly be received back in full. Heck, even  _her older sister_  might not think too fondly of the girl, either.

The issue of gender, however, raised its head again.

Her parents had given her 'the talk' when she was twelve years old. No matter how embarrassing it had been, how awkward it was to sit still in front of her parents and have them explain human anatomy to her, she was slightly grateful they hadn't cut corners.

Even if Blake didn't have a target painted on her back via the White Fang, she wouldn't exactly be able to continue the family line if they got together, which was grounds for disinheritance.

Maybe… maybe if they adopted…

_EXCEPT THAT I DIDN'T REALLY FALL FOR HER. THIS IS JUST A HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO BECAUSE OF WHAT THAT IDIOT JAUNE SAID._

Weiss rolled around in the bunk, eventually giving up to the mortification within her brain, which hurt from these embarrassing subjects. Ones that she hadn't thought up in years, hitting her all at once. Propping an elbow up, her other hand grabbed a handful of sheets as she moved to stabilize herself.

Then she realized.

She'd been laying on Blake's bed this whole time.

* * *

 

Jaune fell to the concrete roof as Pyrrha swept his legs, rubbing his tailbone where he had fallen earlier from Weiss slamming the door in his face. Wincing, he looked up at the shattered moon in the night sky above the dorm rooftop before it was obscured by his tutor, who seemed to have caught that something was wrong. Offering a hand to him, which he gratefully took, her face had fallen by the time he pulled himself back to eye level. "Are you alright, Jaune?" She asked.

Her leader gave her a small smile. "Yeah, don't worry about it."

Okay, that was a bold-faced lie. Truth be told, it was starting to really hurt. Still, he didn't want to let it keep him from practicing, even if her worry was likely warranted. Though he knew he'd never reach Pyrrha's level of expertise (not in this lifetime anyway), she'd said that he'd been doing incredibly well over the past few weeks. "Come on," he started, trying to draw the conversation towards something else, "I wanna try Arkos now." They still needed to perfect that move for the tournament. It might be best to practice it out in the field, but considering the danger it would pose, some extra training wouldn't hurt.

Pyrrha saw right through the ruse, however, and shot down his feint. "I think we can save that for later, since we have the dance tomorrow." Smiling, she began to build off of this new idea. "Speaking of which, are you planning to go with anyone?"

"Uh, not really…" The blonde sighed. He had held out a small hope before, but Weiss had confirmed it herself; she didn't like him. Period. Though technically, it wasn't like he had anyone else on his mind at the moment.

Pyrrha brightened up immediately. "Well, if that's the case, maybe you would like to go together. I mean… with me?"

Jaune answered the question with a wide grin. "Yeah, that sounds great! We could go with Ren and Nora too, as a whole team! Weiss said she was doing something similar with her team!"

The ace's grin dropped once more. "Oh, uh… actually, I think Nora said they'd be going together. Though she clarified that it wouldn't be 'together' together."

Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "I... right, okay, well…" Part of him started feeling really concerned. It wasn't that he hated the idea of going with Pyrrha, but… "I doubt you'd have much fun going if it's just me."

"That's not true, Jaune." Pyrrha's voice became stern, startling her partner. "I'm sure we'd have plenty of fun. I mean, you don't have to if you don't want… but…"

"But you're PYRRHA NIKOS!" He interrupted, gesturing to all of her. "Ace student and champion fighter! Cereal box celebrity! You really think I'd compare to someone of your stature? You probably already have guys swarming you!"

Pyrrha bit back her retort, that she'd still rather go with him even if that was true, but she knew that Jaune wasn't going to listen to reason anymore. He'd already shot her down and a terrible feeling was stirring in her stomach, so she opted to simply response to his insistence, "I'm pretty sure you're mistaken on that."

The boy let out a scoff, "Please, Pyrrha. And you tell ME that I sell myself short. If you don't get a date, I'll wear a dress to the dance."

Walking off, Jaune figured that he shouldn't be expecting someone to ask him, but he could probably still hang out with his friends at the dance.

The red-haired girl remained on the rooftop, looking crestfallen as moonlight shone onto her from behind.

* * *

 

**Oh, Jaune…**


	11. Burning the Candle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 6, 'Burning the Candle'**

* * *

 

Late-morning sunshine cascaded through the decorated curtains and gleamed across the black ribbon in Weiss's hair as she inventoried the remaining tables, ensuring that each had a vase of twenty white roses and could still hold room for punch glasses.

The work was good mental training and, more importantly, a distraction.

Weiss looked over at her leader, who was laying sprawled over one of the small tables, head down and clearly still upset over Blake's departure yesterday.

Though Weiss herself had comforted the Faunus rather effectively before, it had been for a subject she hadn't been (directly) involved in. Now, whenever she thought of Blake…

It was becoming abundantly clear to the heiress to reviewing one's sexuality was a long and difficult process that she hoped she would never have to do again.

Weiss supposed that, if one good thing came out of this situation, it was that she didn't have to watch the other girl, in her yukata, sleep in her bed last night that she herself had been rolling around in.

The heiress screwed her eyes shut as a renewed blush established itself over the bridge of her nose. Setting down her clipboard, she walked over and ruffled Ruby's black-and-red hair in an attempt to both convey sympathy and relieve herself of the tension caused by whatever was establishing her new pink complexion at that particular moment.

The ground trembled as Yang set down a huge speaker near her teammates. The blonde brawler spared a look of sorrow to the Ice Queen, who was still trying to compose herself. She paced over to the pair and put a reassuring hand on each of their shoulders. "Guys, I know you're upset about Blake, but trust me. I've got a plan that'll ensure she's here tonight."

Weiss bit back a retort concerning the  _last_  plan the blonde had arranged for Blake.  _I guess that's still more than what I've got._  Shaking her head, she heard the sound of the main hall's doors opening and turned to see Sun and Neptune approaching.

"Man, this looks WAY cooler than the orientation party back in Mistral." The blue-haired boy twisted his head around, taking in the grand scale of decorations that Weiss and Yang had managed to agree on.

Yang twirled Weiss around so that the two could meet the boys. The heiress felt anxious as Neptune gave her a wink but was distracted by her teammate ruffling her hair, just as she herself had done to Ruby. "Yep," the brawler commented, "Princess and I are gonna make sure this party's a blast! Everyone's gonna love it, even if they have to deal with Weiss's lame Atlesian tastes."

The girl in question tried to shove the larger girl off of her for the teasing remark, but failed due to their obvious weight/height differences that her strength simply couldn't compensate for. When her efforts only made Yang grip and squeeze her harder, she groaned and resigned herself to her fate before arching an eyebrow at Sun. "Speaking of lame tastes, should we be expecting you to not be going topless tonight?" She mocked. "Maybe a closed shirt and a tie instead?"

She kept her tone only slightly friendlier than usual due to her change in heart for the boy compared to their first meeting.

Then she remembered that Sun was part of Jaune's spiel from yesterday and her attitude instantly darkened.

Sun looked down at his chest. "What? What's wrong with this?" He gestured to his stomach, before having his head pushed down by his partner.

Neptune gave them an apologetic look, "Ignore him, for he knows not what he says. Say, Weiss," His eyes lit up when he set his sight on the white-haired girl, "You got a date to the dance? I was thinking, you know, you and me…"

Being on decidedly less favorable terms with Casanova than Rumor Boy, Weiss glowered. She had just gotten Jaune off her back (admittedly in one of the most awkward ways possible thanks to his and Sun's 'theory') yet now she had to deal with this clown. About to snap at him from a built-up bout of stress that had started yesterday, Weiss was suddenly pulled into a lung-crushing hug by Yang, who flashed an award-winning grin at Neptune. "Yes, Snow Angel's already got a date. Three, actually."

Neptune gave a confused look before his arm was batted away by his friend, who he'd been holding down the whole time. Sun winced and rubbed the spot on his head where he'd been manhandled.

Weiss herself finally managed to break out of her own teammate's death hold by smacking the blonde in the face with her ponytail, which also threatened to impale Yang on her metal hair-tie. She spat out several insults that were completely ignored by the larger girl.

After the heiress finally settled down, Sun turned back to the girls, making a silent gesture of apology to Weiss for Neptune (which she met with a grimace for Jaune-related reasons). Then he cleared his throat, suddenly sounding awkward. "So, uh… Does that mean Blake's no longer being all, like… Blake-y?" He reinforced his words with a small gesture of the hand.

At this, Ruby's head rose up from her table, her expression still looking crushed. "No. Unfortunately."

Weiss lightly kicked at the floor, even as another blush rose to her cheeks.  _And even after we went through all of this work for her…_

She was jolted from her thoughts when Yang smacked her square in the back, giving Sun a knowing smile. "Oh, don't you worry, Sunny Boy. She'll be at the dance AND she'll be enjoying it. I swear on Crescent Rose."

At the mention of her weapon, Ruby looked up and shot a glare at Yang, but her older sister had already started for the hallway, determination built back into her face despite her last failure. Before she reached the door knob, however, someone caught her shoulder and the blonde girl whirled around to look down at her shorter white-haired teammate.

Weiss steeled herself. She knew she probably shouldn't be telling Yang about Blake's secrets without the girl's own approval, but she also knew that she wouldn't be in the right state of mind to talk to the brunette herself after… the stuff from yesterday.

Gulping, she grabbed onto Yang's shoulders and pulled her down so she could whisper in her ear without having to stand on her toes. "There's something I need to tell you."

* * *

 

Ren emerged from his steaming bathroom, wrapped in a towel and prepared for the likely exhausting dance he was about to go to with Nora (though it would probably be closer to chaperoning, all things considered). Before he could grab a prepared set of clothes, however, he saw his leader coming over to him, grabbing onto his wrist.

"There's something I need to ask you."

Before he could reply (or at least ask for a chance to grab his clothes) he was already being pulled down to Jaune's bed, sitting awkwardly and still dripping from the shower.

Jaune took a deep breath. "Ren, I'm just gonna come out and say it. You… are my BEST friend. You're like the brother I never had! So, please let me ask you… would you like to go to the dance with me?"

Ren blinked, his eyes shifting to his clothes still hanging on the door a couple of feet away. "I'm… sorry, Jaune, I'm already going with Nora. I feel bad for turning you down, though."

He probably would've smirked at this odd conversation if he wasn't also naked.

Jaune shook his head. "No, that's not what I… look. Is it alright if I tag along with you and Nora tonight? I mean, I know you guys have been really close for, like, your whole lives and stuff but going to the dance by yourself is just so embarrassing…"

Ren couldn't keep track of his leader's spewing train of thought, who seemed to go off on a tangent about finding a reasonable date and not knowing how to… girls? The black-haired boy didn't know how to respond so he quickly looked back to his fresh change of clothes and slowly reached towards them.

Just before his fingers touched fabric, he heard Jaune say the word 'together' twice in a row. Before he could form a coherent sentence from this sudden phrase that he had NOT been expecting from his leader, Nora cleared her throat from across the room before letting out a nervous and clearly embarrassed laugh.

"We're not actually 'together' together…"

"NORA, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THE HEADPHONES?!"

The redhead squeaked at Jaune's sudden outburst and obeyed her leader's command, returning her headphones to her ears. Ren could only shake his head at this. "Jaune, come on. What's this all about?"

The blonde boy began focusing on his feet before sighing. "Look," he began, "As the leader of this team, I believe it would be in all of our interests if we-"

"Jaune, please stop pulling Ren and Nora into this."

This sudden interruption caused Jaune's head to snap up. Pyrrha was standing in the doorway, giving him a disapproving glare. "I meant what I said before," she said, tucking a lock of red hair behind her ear and hoping she wasn't blushing too hard, "I really would enjoy spending the night with you. Even if it's just the two of us."

Her partner gave her a smile that fell apart as quickly as he'd conjured it. "Pyrrha, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm just not the kind of guy that you should be-"

"STOP IT."

Jaune froze as Pyrrha almost choked out the words.

She would have loved to take any compliment he gave her, more than anyone who'd never tried to get to know her as he did, but she just couldn't accept any praise that came at his detriment.

At this point, both were at a loss for words and neither Nora nor Ren could think of anything else to say that would calm the tension in the air. Pyrrha  _wanted_ to say something but simply didn't know how to say it without telling Jaune outright, which was certainly beyond her ability. After a few seconds, she simply shook her head and left, closing the door and leaving Jaune to stare down at the floor again, cradling his head.

* * *

 

Yang pulled her partner into a hug, squeezing shut red eyes in spite of the steam coming off her hair.

"I'm not asking you to stop." The blonde whispered, voice shaky as she managed to calm herself down. "Just please… get some rest. Not just for you, but for the people you care about. Just because we've both suffered in the past doesn't mean we have to do it alone now. We're not doing this because we pity you, we're doing this because we care about you."

Blake didn't have a response. She'd been planning through how to fight back when Yang had pushed her over, so she was caught completely off-guard by the embrace. Standing still for a couple of seconds, she eventually returned the hug, a silent affirmation of Yang's request.

As they pulled back, the brawler scratched the back of her head. "Honestly, I don't think I'd have been able to explain it like that if it wasn't for Weiss." She admitted. In fact, she didn't actually think she'd have been able to guarantee solving Blake's problem if the heiress hadn't fully explained the situation to her. "I was already on my way with some bits that I'd tried to work out myself, but she helped me fill in the blanks. And like she said, you should come to your team whenever something like this happens. Communication is as important for friendships as it is in battle. Even if it's awkward, I know the rest of us would rather deal with that than having you bottle up your emotions."

Blake's feline ears perked up. Just a few days ago, she'd been ashamed of crying in front of Weiss and having the smaller girl comfort her, but Yang's explanation brought the memory to a new light. She felt her mouth melt into a grateful smile and managed to wipe away unshed tears.

Satisfied that her teammate would follow through with her request, Yang ruffled the bow on top of her head (despite Blake's weak attempt to smack away her hands) before walking off towards the door, turning back about halfway through the classroom. "And if you feel like coming to the dance later tonight, your team will still be there, waiting. I'd say you owe me and Ruby a dance or two for your shenanigans."

Blake smiled and shook her head, not at the comment but at herself for being able to act so stupidly towards her team over… well, she'd have to worry about that another time. "I'll… I'll see to that." She responded.

The blonde smirked. "And don't forget about Weiss. She deserves something extra special after all you two have been through."

Blake arched a brow. She didn't really understand what Yang was getting at, but, then again, a dance with Weiss didn't sound that bad.

In fact, she turned the idea over of a dance with the heiress in her head a few times, closing her eyes and humming quietly. They opened again as her partner continued.

"Maybe you could treat her to a dance during one of the more… intimate songs?"

Blake blinked several times before registering the comment, her cheeks suddenly going red at the suggestive statement. She caught herself moving her hands to the white ribbon in her hair and instead shot them down to her sides, balling them up in fists. "What?! Yang, what on Remnant are you talking about?"

The sly grin on Yang's face grew several sizes as she went into full-on teasing mode. "Oh, please. You think I haven't noticed the two of you guys sneaking glances at each other's 'promise ribbons'? Yeah, sure. Would you like me to find you two a jewelry store that sells matching black and white gemstones for your wedding rings?"

In spite of her drowsiness and complete internal mortification, Blake wasn't letting this slide. "What? That's not… she's… you can't be serious!" She gritted her teeth as she felt her human ears burning, her feline pair twitching under her bow.

At this point, she was more furious with herself than her friends had been before for her lack of sleep, simply because it left her vulnerable to Yang's responses without the ability to create a reasonable and well-thought out rebuttal.

Yang burst out laughing, wiping away a tear. She was happy to see her partner getting mad at her over something less serious than her health. "You know, the way you're getting so defensive, I'd say you actually did fall for her!"

Whatever response Blake had been planning to shoot back never came. Any part of her face that  _wasn't_  bright crimson before DEFINITELY was now. Words failed to escape her throat, leaving her gapping at Yang.

The blonde brawler didn't miss this. Though, rather than continuing the onslaught of romance-based tormenting (as much as she'd normally love to), she recognized Blake's weariness and instead offered a warm smile.

"You know, Rubbles and I were talking about your ribbons for a while. I thought we could all go out some time and… I don't know, get matching ones for the rest of the team? I mean, I know the bond you and Snow Angel have is special, but since we're all teammates… what do you think?"

Once again, Blake didn't know how to respond to this, especially after the previous string of digs her partner had made at her. However, one look at Yang's face was all she need to tell she wasn't joking this time. Relaxing her strained muscles from her attempts to push down her humiliated expression, she managed a nod and returned the smile.

Though the previous reminder of sleep had pulled on her tired mind, Blake couldn't help but start feeling better already, as though she'd just been pulled out of a nightmare.

She was about to thank Yang when she realized the blonde girl was already gone.

Blake sighed and closed her eyes. She made a mental note to thank the blonde girl (and the rest of her team, likely after several apologizes) for caring about her.

_Caring about me…_  The thought made the brunette's chest feel warm. She let out a soft purr as she knew no one would be listening. Managing to crack open her eyes, she started her trek back to her dorm and the warm bed it likely contained.

* * *

 

Walking to the dance as twilight fell, Sun fumbled with his tie in the courtyard, grumbling to himself. "Stupid, dumb neck trap."

"I guess you do look better with a tie, huh?"

The blonde went silent and turned around. Blake stood behind him, sporting a beautiful purple dress with translucent shoulders. She walked up to Sun and set out his tie, tightening it so that it set back onto his shirt without moving. She smiled. "Glad to see you actually decided to wear a closed shirt to the dance."

The other Faunus wasn't able to respond for a few seconds. "Yeah, uh, well, Weiss kind of forced it on me. Heh. You know how she is with formal wear and these kinds of events."

Blake blinked. This was the second time today that someone had mentioned Weiss helping them for her sake. It wasn't like Weiss was as terrible as she had been at the beginning of last semester, but it almost felt like the heiress was trying to almost maneuver circumstances to benefit her. She shook her head.  _No, it's probably just Weiss being Weiss._

Not that she wouldn't have appreciated it anyway.

Blake looked back up at Sun, her ears crumbling her bow as her expression fell and her eyes looked away. "I… I owe you an apology for the other day. I was out of it and I said and thought some pretty nasty stuff. I know that you guys have just been trying to help, so… uh, thanks for caring about me."

She received a light punch on her shoulder. "Hey, no need for apologies. If anything, I should be apologizing to you for all that flirting I was doing; you clearly didn't appreciate it." Sun crossed his arms, rubbing his skin as an early fall breeze started up. "Sorry for not noticing earlier."

This prompted a raising of an eyebrow from Blake. Had he really not caught on earlier? Sighing, she decided to be level with her friend.

"It's fine, Sun. I… just haven't had good experiences with relationships in the past. It's kind of been part of the issues I had with my team the last few days. I like you as much as my teammates and I appreciate everything you've done for me over the past month. But I'd rather treasure the bonds I have with my friends as they are right now." She brought up a hand and tucked her ribbon-bound locks behind her ear. "It's just not the right time for me to get back into dating. Not until I can find someone that I can both trust and truly fall for."

This time, it was Sun's turn to be confused. After the talk he'd had with Jaune (and their discussion after the other blonde boy's failure to ask Weiss out) he'd been sure that Weiss and Blake had started some form of relationship, or even had a crush on each other. Well, that wasn't his business and it wasn't really in his field of expertise anyway. Instead, he offered an arm. "Well then, might I platonically escort you to the dance, milady?"

Blake gladly took it. She snickered at his awkward wording and stuck out a finger from her other hand to his cheek. "Just so you know, my team will be getting my first few dances, so you'll have to wait your turn if you want a dance."

Sun gave a toothy grin and batted away the digit. "Guess I'll have to teach Neptune how to dance in the meantime. Trust me, that guy looks like a Beowulf being swarmed by bees whenever he listens to music."

* * *

 

As soon as they arrived at the main hall, they were greeted by the rest of Team RWBY. Ruby herself had on a lovely red dress with similar translucent shoulders to Blake's own that Weiss's white gown also had. Yang had a white dress that almost matched Weiss's, though it had full cloth shoulders unlike her other three teammates.

The blonde girl immediately took Blake's hand as soon as she let go of her companion's arm, pulling her off into an open space between the other waltzing students. Sun, Ruby and Weiss decided to stand off to the side of the dance, the Faunus waiting for his partner in order to drag him off to the dance floor to actually teach him some moves.

The trio looked out to the dance when they hear a truly adorable laugh from their friend, the first time they'd heard such a noise in… well, probably since they'd met the girl. Ruby and Sun smiled to each other, glad for everything to be back to normal.

Weiss spared a smirk at Sun. "Guess I was right. It's not a tux, but you do look spiffy in an actual shirt."

The boy returned the look with a frown, his tail drooping. "Yeah, well, if it wasn't so uncomfortable, I might actually want to wear it more often." He grappled his tie again, leaving it slightly uneven. "Seriously, how do people  _enjoy_  wearing formal clothes?"

"Speaking of which," Ruby brought in, scowling at her feet, "Weiss, we need to have a serious talk about heels. Like, how do you FIGHT in these things?"

The heiress simply rolled her eyes at her leader. "Years of practice, Ruby." She was interrupted when Sun spotted his partner and ran off, leaving the partners by themselves.

"Looks like Blake's really enjoying herself." Ruby said. Weiss turned her head towards the dance floor. Yang was in the middle of twirling Blake in an overly-exaggerated manner, which caused the brunette to let out another laugh.

Suddenly, Weiss started feeling very self-conscious. She brought a hand up to grab the end of her ponytail, absentmindedly fiddling with the end of the black ribbon in it. She let out a small sigh. "I'm gonna go take a seat. If you want, there's more grape juice by the windows. The punch bowl is on another table closer to the door."

Ruby let out a sputter but the heiress had already left. Thus, she stumbled off, grumbling something about stilts under her breath.

* * *

 

**DAMMIT JAUNE! You better redeem yourself next chapter!**

**Gotta say, I REALLY didn't want to change the JNPR dorm room scene but I had to in order to fit the new narrative I'm creating. Would have otherwise left it alone, as I thought the scene was fine in the show, but it wouldn't have worked for a story that involved Jaune already being rejected by Weiss.**

**Yes, Blake has human ears in addition to Faunus ears. Some of you may think that's stupid but unless she's Van Gogh, a person that doesn't have human ears on their human head would just look… weird, cat-girl traits notwithstanding. I'm not here to explain the anatomy of the skulls of Faunus with animal ears as their trait, though; I'm here to write a fanfic! Plus, Blake clearly has human ears in the show.**

**Sorry if you'd prefer more Bumblebee but, well, Monochrome fanfic and such. I'll try to make the intra-team bonds as adorable as possible anyway and I'd say this chapter was good practice.**

**Also note that Yang's talk with Blake occurred much earlier here (around noon) than it did in the show (near sunset). Not too important but it reinforces the fact that Blake DID get some rest after talking with Yang and before talking with Sun.**


	12. Dance Dance Infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 7, 'Dance Dance Infiltration'**

* * *

 

Jaune nudged his way through the crowd of people, looking around wildly for Pyrrha. Seeing a tinge of red, he reached out his arm to grab a hand, only to find a pair of silver eyes instead of the green ones he'd been expecting.

"Oh, sorry Ruby." Jaune quickly apologized to the other team leader, releasing her hand.

"Oh. Hey Jaune. What's up? Having fun?" Ruby rubbed her wrist slightly, though the grip hadn't been that strong. She gave him a warm smile, though her eyes showed confusion when she noticed the blonde boy looked upset. "You okay?"

Jaune gave off a weak grin. "Yeah, looking for someone actually, b-but I'm glad I ran into you! I've, uh, not really been having much fun tonight but I was wondering if you just wanted to hang out?"

When his only reply was a blink, he added, "You know, as fellow 'socially awkwards'?"

Ruby chuckled at this and opened her mouth to accept when she felt another hand rattle hers from behind. Turning around, she came face to face with two amber orbs.

Blake smiled warmly at her teammate. "Care to dance?" She offered a hand out.

Silver eyes shone before the rest of her face suddenly fell. "Sorry, Blake, but Jaune said he…" She turned to gesture to the boy, only to find him pushing back through the crowd. Ruby stood up on her toes, spying a red ponytail in the distance, likely belong to Pyrrha. With her friend's departure, she smiled at her teammate, throwing her arms around the brunette who almost stumbled back into another pair of students as she cried out in surprise.

"I'm guessing that's a yes, then?" Blake teased, being pulled back to the dance floor by her grinning leader.

* * *

 

Though Yang had offered Weiss to dance with herself and Sun, the heiress had politely declined, claiming that at least one of them needed to keep watch over the dance. Technically, she was currently doing so, but her eyes were focused on a certain pair on the dance floor: Ruby and Blake, who were less dancing and more skipping around each other. The younger girl's waltzing skills were completely lacking, but they were both definitely having fun, especially considering how little they usually hung out.

The heiress smiled, a bit of pride in her heart that she'd helped put this event together.

For a moment, Weiss lost herself in Blake's profile. She looked absolutely gorgeous, even if the heiress would never admit so out loud. She took in every detail she could see: the calculating pout she had whenever she predicted and easily evaded Ruby's ill-thought-out steps as they whirled each other around, the little bounces the waves in her black hair would make as she turned quickly, the subtle changes to her face when she started giggling.

Weiss didn't even realize how much she'd been staring until Blake caught her eye and she proceeded to bury her gaze six feet under the ground.

She didn't understand at all why this was happening. Even with her confused thoughts, Weiss couldn't imagine how it was possible that she'd become so socially inept around her crush so quickly, to the point of not being able to look into those golden eyes. It had only been a single day and she'd gone from being slightly nervous at the mention of Blake's name to being incapable of breathing at the sight of those shining orbs.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Weiss walked off to try and find another friend she could talk with in the hopes of getting her mind on something, ANYTHING else. It wasn't two feet until she slammed into another partygoer and reeled back. Rubbing her head and looking up, she didn't even need more than a second to recognize the owner of the neon-blue hair caught in her sight.

_Of course._

"Oh, hey! Sup Weiss? Where are your dates?"

Even if this fit the description of what she'd been hoping for, this was NOT what she needed right now. Weiss crossed her arms and let out an annoyed huff. No amount of Vasilias-grade flirting was going to make her feel better; if anything, it would only serve to remind her of the newfound lovesickness infecting…

… _and now JAUNE is coming this way_.

Very close to taking out her frustration out on both boys in a public display that would involve doing grave harm with another body, she froze in shock when JNPR's leader suddenly grabbed Neptune's hand and pulled him away. The heiress could only stand in stunned silence as the larger boy was dragged off, sputtering out Jaune's name several times and a couple of jumbled questions.

Looking back at the dance floor, she saw her other teammate walking up to her.

"We did a pretty great job with this party, don't you think?" Yang asked, her smile large and proud.

"Yeah, uh-" Weiss pointed off in the direction the boys had gone, but they'd already become obscured by the rest of the crowd. Suddenly, her pointing finger was grabbed and a hand was set on her hip, causing her to sputter in surprise as Yang immediately started rocking her back and forth, the grin not leaving her face.

Despite her fervent insistence that at least one of them should be watching the party, she eventually resigned her efforts. It only took her a minute to calm down from the sudden initiation of contact she received, unwarranted, from the blonde girl; eventually, Weiss got into the swing of the movements and began actually enjoying herself. Her mind focused on the rhythm of the music as she and her fellow teammate moved through the groups of students on the dance floor. She smirked as Yang brought both their hands above her own head to twirl herself around, almost lifting the smaller girl off the ground due to the difference in height.

Weiss then let out a yelp when she was ACTUALLY lifted off the ground, though. Now able to look down at her larger dance partner, who was grinning warmly back up at her, she brought up a hand to try and muffle the light giggle she let out.

* * *

 

"…and that's how it is. So please stop flirting with Weiss, for Blake's sake." Jaune finished, eyes searching the other boy to confirm that the message had been received.

Neptune made no signs that he'd actually heard any of it, instead opting to continue his open-mouthed shocked expression he'd had on throughout most of the conversation.

Jaune sighed. "Look, I know it's a lot to take in, but she practically said so yesterday. She doesn't seem to be interested in anyone else, so flirting with her now would only get you on her bad side. And trust me…" he rubbed his back that he'd landed hard on when she'd thrown him during the food fight, "you don't want to be on her bad side."

His brain still playing catch-up, Neptune shook his own head several times to make sure he was still conscious. "Sorry, hold up." He put up his hands. "You're telling me that she's after kitty girl? Not  _this?_ " He gestured down to his abdomen, which sported a sleek black tuxedo.

Jaune simply put a hand in his face.

_I can't believe I thought this guy was cool._

He couldn't really blame the guy, though, seeing as he himself had been in the boy's position only a week or so ago. It would be really hypocritical for him to return Neptune's comment with anything more than a dismissal.

He'd just talked with Pyrrha and was about to go do the one thing that could make it up to her. Unfortunately, he'd never have the opportunity if Neptune didn't get the point. "If you don't believe me, ask Sun. He and I talked about this yesterday. Or, if you have a death wish, cause trust me she wasn't happy about hearing it from me, you can ask Weiss herself. Maybe apologize for it."

Neptune frowned as his mind began working. "…if they've liked each other that long, that means I've just been a thorn in her side since I met her." He rubbed the back of his head as he stared at his feet. "If that's the case, then she… probably hates me. How do I make up it up to her then?"

"Look…" He rubbed his temples as he repeated the word for what must've been the fifth time. This conversation was too mental draining, though he pushed the exhaustion down and smiled at the blue-haired Mistral boy. "You're smart, right? Didn't Sun call you a nerd before? If you want to make it up to Weiss, just leave her be. Let her follow the path she wants to. If it really bothers you… well, you can just start over by being friends with her. I'm sure it would make her feel better about everything that you did before. That make sense?"

Neptune glanced upwards, his mind working. "Yeah. I guess you're right. You're a pretty cool guy, Jaune." He held out his fist to let the other boy bump it.

The other boy chuckled, brushing knuckles. "Thanks but, you don't need to lie to my face. Now…" He turned and charged off towards the door. "I got go get a dress. Be cool, man."

Neptune smiled and waved him off. "Thanks!"

A few seconds later, however, he realized something. "Wait. Nerd?!"

…

"WAIT. DRESS?!"

* * *

 

It was a few hours later, after the rather unexpectedly awesome spectacle that was Jaune, in a white dress, leading team JNPR in an incredibly impressive dance after he'd made up with his partner.

The blonde boy and Pyrrha were currently sitting at one of the tables with Nora and Ren as Jaune talked about the seven Arc sisters. The redhead let out a loud laugh at something he said, causing her leader to blush and bunch up his shoulders. Ren brought up a fist to stifle his own amusement, while the ace's face shone brighter than the first couple days after she'd arrived at Beacon.

On the dance floor, Yang and Ruby were definitely having the most fun out of anyone; their giggling could be heard across the room. Weiss, on the other hand, stood near the main banquet, perfectly content to stand back and enjoy the rest of the party on her own after being otherwise exhausted by Ruby's particular style of dancing (she hadn't been as skilled at dodging feet as Blake).

Not that she hadn't enjoyed it for the most part, of course.

About halfway through her and Yang's dance, she'd replaced her tiara with the black ribbon (on Yang's demand after she'd almost accidently impaled her on it, though that was the blonde girl's own fault, really), tied into a neat little bow at the base of her off-center ponytail.

After the sisters finished their dance and Ruby made for the exit like she said she would before (to go find better footwear, apparently) she jolted at a light tug on the shoulder of her dress. Silently praying it wasn't Jaune or Neptune (though she certainly owed the former a fortune for dragging the latter off before) she felt her throat go dry as she found the hand's owner to be none other than her brunette teammate, reaching out for the heiress's own. "I believe I owe you a dance?" She smirked.

Weiss could've swore the other girl was blushing. She couldn't tell, though. After all, concern over her own flustering was the reason she'd picked the pink-tinted lights for the floor, having to relent on many other decisions for her blonde co-worker to agree. She only hoped it was working for her, and that her own blush was more pink than scarlet.

Closing her eyes and putting up her best front, she huffed and threw her wrapped ponytail over her shoulder in an extravagant display of elegance.

Her words, though, were far more serious.

"You owe nobody ANYTHING." Weiss tempered, allowing her hand to be taken.

The girls moved out to the dance floor, but as they set into position, the music began to slow. Weiss immediately began panicking, despite being able to set her face in stone.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Yang near the music system, give her a thumbs up and the smuggest look she'd ever seen. All the blonde got back was an icy glower.

Slowly, Blake pulled them together, her expression unreadable except for the slight curl of her lips upwards.

It took all of Weiss's willpower to keep herself from shaking as she drew into the embrace, the pair slightly swaying back and forth within a gently rolling sea of other students and faculty.

The heiress dared a look up at her companion. Thankfully, the golden circles that normally made her heart flutter were sheathed, giving her a good look at the purple eye shadow the other girl usually wore. It wasn't the first time their faces had been this close but it was the first time Weiss ever really noticed how well the makeup accented Blake's features.

Looking down, the curtain of jet-black hair surrounding her certainly didn't disappoint either. It cascaded over the girl's shoulders like a waterfall with amazing detail, likely the result of her long morning routine when she'd hog the bathroom mirror with her hairbrush. It looked sleek and the aroma coming off of it was faint (probably to accommodate for her own heightened sense of smell). It's fruity, tropical aroma felt somewhat taut.

In simple terms, she was absolutely breath-taking. And Weiss could testify, as she was already becoming lightheaded, trying to keep herself from gasping out for air and drawing the Faunus's attention. Of course, being in the brunette's arms complicated those factors drastically.

And then, there was the matter of what was pressing right against her chest.

_Were Blake's breasts ALWAYS this big?_

Weiss was very glad her lighting choice had fallen through. She could already feel her ears burning.

As her blush rose, she pushed herself into the white ribbon hanging low in her teammate's hair, trading flustering at direct physical contact for the hope that Blake wouldn't think to look down at an angle to see her face as her stone facade crumbled easily under the weight of her embarrassment.

Blake, meanwhile, was rather enjoying the slow dance she was having with her smaller teammate, her eyes closed and humming to herself. Her head just about fit perfectly on top of the white, silky mass of fluff that was Weiss's hair, nuzzling slightly into the black ribbon keeping up the heiress's signature hairstyle.

The slow melody and the gentle sway had brought back darker memories, a part of her life that she knew she'd never truly escape from as it continued to haunt her memories. Still, Blake quickly evicted them from her mind.

She wasn't dancing with  _Adam_ ; she was dancing with  _Weiss_. And she  _knew_  who Weiss was.

She'd put her faith in the white-haired princess as she had done many times for others, but unlike most of them, she knew that this stubborn young lady wouldn't stray from caring for her as her bond had proven many times.

She opened her eyes to look at the bow in front of her, a solid black against the icy strands it held tightly. The contrast made her think back to their relationship, her thoughts moving more to the girl wrapped in her arms.

They were so different from each other, yet she could easily count many parallels between herself and Weiss, even if she wasn't willing to admit every single one quite yet.

_Just like our colors._

With the theme of contrast on her mind, a thought on the scar across the heiress's eye came up. She always wondered how Weiss had gotten the adorable mark, though she'd wager had something to do with the White Fang from the night of their fight. All the more reason to not ask. She sighed, wondering if her white-haired teammate still harbored any, likely well-deserved, negative fe-

… _adorable?_

_Wait, when did I start describing Weiss as 'adorable'?_

Blake suddenly became aware of the fact that she was purring, though a quick swivel of the head showed nobody else was paying her any heed. The one person who probably  _could_  hear it, however, was laying directly against her heart, just as her pulse started to rise.

Slightly panicking at the thought of Weiss hearing her quickening heartbeat, Blake restored to lightly squeezing the heiress's waist, causing the other girl to shift around.

Yet Weiss's head never left her body.

Blake felt very self-conscious about their positions for the first time since they'd started dancing.

Briefly, she wondered if this was the feeling that her books described when they said the main character started falling for their love interest. She certainly hadn't felt this way when she'd fallen for Adam (he'd already been so close to her heart, she'd supposed, which made everything even worse in the end), but Weiss wasn't her 'love interest' or anything like that.

… _right?_

Just as both girls reached the point where steam would've likely started coming out of their ears, they quickly broke away from each other as the hall's doors slammed open and an elderly old hunter with long grey hair and a trench-coat ran over to Professor Ozpin, who looked surprised at the dance's interruption. The headmaster looked over at the other professors when the hunter croaked out his message.

"Sir, there's been a break-in at the CCT Tower!"

* * *

 

**Dang it! Monochrome date ruined! Let's hope that doesn't happen again!**

**;)**


	13. Field Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 8, 'Field Trip'**

* * *

 

Yang paced back and forth in the room as she waited for her sister to return to the dorm. She'd left at one point, asking her two teammates to wait if Ruby got back before her. She returned a few minutes later with what looked like a thermos before resuming her circular path.

Ruby had reported to Ozpin first thing in the morning after the incident last night. The blonde had only learned that her younger sibling had been involved in the attack when she'd returned to the room yesterday evening to let them know; to say her team was shocked was an understatement.

Thus, that morning, they were restless. Weiss was writing out a letter on her bed that she was planning to send home to her sister Winter. Blake was rummaging through supplies under her bed, having said something before about 'packing light supplies for their upcoming mission.'

Eventually, the two partners had become so distracted by their tasks that they ended up crashing into each other and falling to the ground, which drew the heiress's head up from her note.

"Do you two mind? I don't have time for your antics this morning!"

Weiss inwardly cringed at her tone.  _Okay, that was a bit harsher than it should have been_. She started twirling the black bow holding up her ponytail absentmindedly. She'd been on edge since last night; she didn't think she'd ever get used to being close to her Faunus teammate after hearing Jaune's theories about them, but what with the slow dance still being stuck in her mind, she'd lost sleep once again. Yet, what little dreams she'd had had been light and soft and so mortifyingly embarrassing in their subject that she didn't dare look into the amber eyes that were now glaring at her.

"Well, sorry, Snow Angel. I'm not the one who's pacing around being unproductive."

Despite it being used mockingly, hearing that nickname from Blake brought a blush creeping up her features once again.

She'd certainly never felt that way when Neptune called her that.

Weiss grumbled inaudibly. She should have just told him off when they'd met; that probably would've made things easier.

"Hey, I'll have you know that drudging back and forth across a room is very useful for calming one's self down." Yang defended. "For all I know, my sister might end up being expelled."

"I'm pretty sure pacing is supposed to be  _counterproductive_  to calming down." The brunette shot back.

Their snow-haired teammate observed the argument from the corner of her eye, slamming her clipboard into her face when Blake bent over again to grab something from under her bed, unintentionally giving her roommate a good view of her backside.

Vulgar 'Bellabooty' jokes that Yang had made in the past suddenly sprang to mind.

_No! Dust, brain! If you're going to have a crush on her, you should be thinking of the pure and completely non-physical relationship that it would be._

She forced her mind to focus on her paper, scribbling out a few more lines in frustration that half-criticized and half-praised her teammates' abilities in the field.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. All three girls immediately got up and ran up to the entrance, where their leader stood with a look of shock on her face.

"So?! What happened?!" Yang asked, deciding not to waste any time.

The cloaked girl brought her hands up to shrug. "Uh, well um, ehehe, uh… there… wasn't really much to discuss, I guess. Well, at least not much to discuss with  _me_." She brought up a hand to her red-tinted locks, pulling on them as she bit her lip.

Blake's smile flipped as she sighed before retreating back into the room. She chose to sit down on Weiss's mattress, who decided it would be a very bad idea to comment on that particular fact.

Yang closed the door behind her little sister, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Well, you can still tell us everything, right?"

"Uh, right. So, uh… first, the general praised me for fighting against the criminal. Then, well, I guess they didn't really know who it was. They asked me about her and I told them how she fought and… stuff. And then, I, uh, I slipped Professor Ozpin the information about there being a hideout in the southeast. And  _then_ , he… oh."

"Hm?"

"He told me not to mention any of this to you guys."

The other three girls groaned. It was just like their mysterious headmaster to try and leave them in the dark.

Blake drew her feet up onto the bed and closed her eyes. She still didn't fully trust Ozpin, even after he'd said he would accept her for who she was. It bothered her that he was withholding so much despite all he'd asked from them.

Weiss crossed her arms and shot Ruby a disappointed look. "Telling him about Torchwick's hideout? That was a risking move."

The Faunus girl opened her eyes again and brought her legs back down. "Well, he knows now. I guess we'll just have to hope for the best."

The heiress turned around and arched an eyebrow, blocking out the part of her mind thinking about the fact the Blake was sitting on her bed again. "That's… oddly optimistic of you."

"I'm not being optimistic." The brunette countered, her tone unchanging. "I'm being realistic. The fact that he knows is out of our control now. We'll just have to roll with it from now on."

Her cloaked teammate brought her gaze to her feet, kicking at the ground lightly in a small habit she was beginning to form. "Sorry, guys."

Her older sibling gave her shoulder blade a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry about it, Rubes. I'm sure everything will be alright." Her lavender eyes lit up. "Oh, I know what'll cheer you up! Dad sent us something in the mail. I was hoping we could open it together." She moved over to her desk to grab the small cylinder that she'd brought back earlier.

Ruby threw up her hands and gasped, her voice squealing. "Ooh! Something from home!"

She shot over to Yang's back with a flurry of petals, arms waving as they tried to grab at the container. As Yang extended her arm out of her sister's reach, something fell out onto the floor. All four girls to approach it warily with varying degrees of interest.

The foreign object shook before small ears uncurled itself from the form. Beady black eyes started back at them. The creature let out a shrill bark.

A dog. A corgi, to be exact.

Weiss and Blake let out a scream. Ruby and Yang cheered. "Zwei!" The red-haired girl picked up the dog and laughed as it licked her face.

"He send a dog?!" The heiress's thoughts first jumped to the fact the sisters' father had sent them a pet to a school that specifically didn't allow for pets on the premises, then to the fact that she might have to spend several days with that mongrel in their room,  _then_  to the fact that  _her_ father would have never sent her a gift like that before finally realizing that the poor creature had probably gone several days STUCK IN A SMALL CONTAINER _._

Her entire body jolted as Blake's nails dug into her shoulder, her body bristling. "IN THE MAIL?!" She practically hissed out, apparently thinking on similar lines to her teammate.

Yang waved the comment off. "Oh, he does stuff like this all the time."

"Your father or your dog?" Weiss found herself twisting around to see Blake glaring over Ruby's bunk, her eyes narrowed into slits. The heiress shot a pair of confused, crystalline eyes up at her.

After a second of wondering what the girl she'd fallen for was doing, the snow-haired girl directed herself back down and bent over to get a better view to this 'Zwei.'

Sure, he was pretty cute, but…

Okay, fine, he was VERY cute.

She brought up a hand to scratch an ear, smiling as the dog barked happily and started panting heavily.

Then he pushed his ear further into her touch.

And her hand shot away. Zwei let out a small whine.

Weiss clutched her wrist. She hadn't realized until just then how similar it had felt to scratching Blake's Faunus ears. A new rush of embarrassment flowed through her body, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin when she heard the brunette's voice above her again. "Please keep it away from my belongings."

The heiress circled around her bed as the siblings began to talk about food, getting a better view of her Faunus teammate. Her hair was frizzling and she stared back at Weiss with feral rage, though as she looked away, Weiss could've sworn she saw some sort of emotion flash through the piercing irises. She could only return a dumbfounded expression.

"You aren't seriously scared of Zwei, are you?" She would've expected to be called out for saying something like that before but  _this_  was something else. "I mean, he's a small dog. A  _really small_  dog."

"And  _you're_  a  _really small_  human. Doesn't make anyone any less scared of you."

Anger quickly won out over concern at this rude remark, but before she could get out a comeback, Zwei ran around her feet, barking up at the Faunus on top of the upper bunk.

Blake drew back, crouching and bringing up a hand as she let out a low growl.

The heiress rolled her eyes. This was getting ridiculous. Then, a smirk came to her face. She bent down and picked up the small creature, who wriggled around in confusion before he began panting happily again. She brought him up over the end of the hanging bed. "Come on! Look at him. He's just an innocent little doggie!" Zwei added to this with another bark.

Blake's eyes flew open as she almost shot into the air, her hair standing on end.

"WEISS!" She shouted as she crouched down, letting out a loud hiss as she bared her fangs.

The corgi let out a terrified whimper. Weiss could barely stop herself from laughing.

Suddenly, Zwei leapt out of her arms and ran back to his owners, where a pile of canned dog food had manifested itself on the floor of their room. The heiress returned her gaze to Blake, who was starting to relax but was now giving her a look that could only be described as 'pissed.'

This time, Weiss laughed; she couldn't help it.

Her crush was acting absolutely adorable.

* * *

 

"What was THAT about?"

Weiss cracked open an eye to see amber burning back at her. Smiling, she closed her eye again and feinted innocence. "Sorry, could you be more specific?"

Blake showed her canines again, but her cheeks were burning. She tapped her foot impatiently as the team waited for the ceremony to begin. She felt humiliated for acting in such a way, particularly in front of Weiss, who just  _had_  to tease her about it. It wasn't like the smaller girl didn't get on her nerves every now and then, but not even Yang had grilled her over her… minor overreaction.

"You know what I'm talking about! You practically threw that mutt at me!" She almost spat back, her emotions clearly not in order.

Her snow-haired teammate simply stared back and batted her eyelashes, her face becoming concerned. "Is this going to become a reoccurring thing, Blake? Like, is it biological or something?"

The brunette didn't respond, instead looking away and seething to herself, not wishing to humor the question whether it was genuine or not.

She didn't like dogs, so what?! They're loud and filthy and jump on anything that moves! No one in their right minds would keep something like that as a pet!

Blake cursed under her breath. Her Faunus heritage was becoming a defining point in her identity again. Weiss had already scratched her feline ears enough times that she probably just saw her as another animal and now this… it's just making things worse!

She began to calm as she thought back to the night at the docks.

Suddenly, Blake started feeling guilty.  _No, I shouldn't say that about her. She's doing her best. Way beyond her best, honestly. And…_

She saw images of the girl holding her in her arms at the docks.

Of the girl tying the small white ribbon into her hair that she kept to this day.

Of the girl laughing with her after the food fight.

Of the girl smiling down with sympathy as she gave comforting words.

Of the girl crying into her chest during their battle with Neo.

Of the girl begging her to sleep for her own health.

Of the girl swaying back and forth in her arms, dancing slowly just the night before.

… _and she definitely cares about me._

Blake's heart started accelerating for the umpteenth time in the past twenty-four hours.

Why were her thoughts all about Weiss recently? Sure, they'd gotten along really well over the past few weeks and she'd looked stunning in her dress last night and the way her azure orbs just seem to pierce through h-

_She's looking at me._

"W-what?" The brunette managed to sputter out, trying to fix her best glare despite the rapidly-growing blush across her nose.

The heiress narrowed her eyes.  _Uh, I believe I asked you a question._  Instead of voicing this thought, though, she dropped the subject and redirected her gaze back at the stage. "Never mind. Look, Professor Ozpin's here."

For the most part, their headmaster's speech somewhat resonated with Blake. It seemed like he was talking from personal experience, as if he had seen the war for himself. She shook her head.  _Come on, he's not THAT old…_

… _or maybe he was. It wouldn't be a surprise given how much he tended to hide from them._

Throughout the speech, she stole glances at Weiss, taking in her form. The smaller girl was absolutely absorbed in the words, smiling as Ozpin praised the diversity that made up the people of Remnant.

Blake couldn't help but let her lips curl upwards in spite of herself.

Of course, her short-lived admiration for Professor Ozpin vanished quickly when the team was applying for their mission and he had revealed to them how much he knew about their group's hunt for Roman, which frightened her to no end. Not to mention the fact that he'd bent the rules to allow them to take the mission they wanted. While the others seemed happy that they'd have a chance to stop Torchwick after all, Blake felt concerned about how lenient he was being with them.

Whenever he stared at them, it was like he was looking at a chessboard.

"Hey, Team CFVY's back!"

Blake snapped out of her thoughts as a student pushed by them, running up to watch the sophomores unpacked their supplies from an airship. Her team approached the upperclassmen. "Velvet, are you okay?" She asked, coming up to the shorter girl.

The rabbit Faunus smiled, though the bags under her eyes wrung at the brunette's mind. "I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." She gestured to her larger teammate, who gave them a short wave.

Weiss came up beside her and addressed Velvet as well, her voice filled with concern. "Your mission was supposed to end a week ago. What happened?"

The older girl looked back with an exhausted expression. "N-nothing happened. It's just… there were just so many…" Her face fell, only to be quickly replaced by a more comforting gaze. "Oh but don't worry. You first years are just shadowing huntsman, so you should be fine."

Yang narrowed her eyes. "Riiiiiight."

"I should go. Be safe, okay?"

Blake closed her eyes. She wasn't terribly worried. She'd been on her own in Grimm-infested towns more times than she could recall. Plus, this time, she had three trusted allies by her side. She smiled; that's right, she had nothing to worry about.

Then she looked beside her and her heart fell. Weiss stood fidgeting, eyeing her feet and rubbing her arm. The brunette felt a pang of sadness inside her as she tried to decipher the smaller girl's expression.

Smiling warmly, she bumped the heiress's shoulder, causing her to almost jump out of her skin as her blue eyes went wide.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll be by each other's sides this whole time. We've got your back."

She set a hand on Weiss's shoulder as her shorter teammate looked away, trying to hide her growing embarrassment. Part of Blake's mind told her to tease the heiress, in revenge for earlier, but she pushed it down.

It was her turn to do the comforting.

Weiss closed her eyes. "It's not that I'm scared, it's just…" Her mouth closed, her gaze staying solidly on the ground.

"You don't trust me?"

Suddenly, azure met amber. Hurt flashed in the smaller girl's eyes.

"Don't say that! I'd trust you with my life!"

Now it was the brunette's turn to blush. She nodded slowly, glancing away and trying to keep her grin from growing too wide. "Right, sorry."

For some reason, she had a strange feeling that the next few days were going to be great.

…

Perhaps she'd thought too soon.

"Why, hello girls!"

The four huntresses-in-training stared in unconcealed shock at their chaperon, none other than their zany history teacher Dr. Oobleck, dressed up like he was about to go digging for Grimm fossils.

"Who's ready to fight for their lives?"


	14. Search and Destroy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 9, 'Search and Destroy'**

* * *

Weiss always hated the bullhead transports.

First off, they were far too exposed to the elements. They also had no seats whatsoever. She could only barely reach the handles hanging high from the ceiling, something that Yang had taken the time to teasingly remind her of.

The sane part of her mind had just barely overridden the decision to send the blonde flying with a glyph.

Speaking of which, the risk of falling out of the airship whilst it was moving was far too high for proper safety procedures. Sure, SHE might be fine thanks to her semblance, but other less lucky students wouldn't exactly have such a break. Not to mention that plummeting towards the earth was something she'd already gone through earlier that year and wasn't a memory she wished to repeat any time soon. The terror of accelerating towards the ground had previously removed any landing strategies she could come up with and was something she still experienced in a few nightmares.

Wrinkling her brow, she took a look around the cabin, gaze casting over the two siblings as they chatted with their profess- er, DOCTOR, about the history of Mountain Glenn. She felt her breath hitch as her eyes began to fall on the figure standing next to her.

Trying to distract herself, she unsheathed Myrtenaster and popped open the loading chamber with one hand. She twirled the mechanism in a hopeless ploy to preoccupy her thoughts of the likely battles ahead.

She really should've brought a few backup vials, just in case.

Looking down at the back of each cartridge, the Schnee Dust logo stared back at her. A small scowl crossed her face. Some of the suitcases under her bed at the dorm were filled with a year's supply of various vials of dust. She remembered back when she was designing her weapon that she'd asked the higher-ups of the Schnee Dust Company to add the logo to the custom ammunition they sent her.

One day, _one day,_ the symbol would mean more than just her father's company.

For now, though, the insignia simply tugged at the back of her mind. Reminding her that no matter what she did, she'd always be remembered as a _Schnee_.

Icy eyes strayed once more to the hand gripping the white bow beside her. Focusing on it caused her jumbled mind to start to settle.

"Something wrong, Weiss?"

The girl in question quickly turned her head off to the side. Even though her reason might be innocent, the fact that she'd been caught staring set off alarms in her head.

_Dust, damn it! She probably thinks I like her now!_

… _well, I mean, I_ _ **DO**_ _, but that's not something I want her to know!_

Somehow, over the past few days, Weiss had come to accept the fact that she was now infatuated with Blake, even if she wasn't convinced these feelings would last forever. But despite with the subtle daydreams that occasionally replayed whenever she got lost in her own thoughts, she always dismissed the notion of reciprocation being possible.

' _I believe I owe you a dance?'_

Not with where she stood in the world, thanks to her father.

The lack of an answer to her question only caused Blake to become more concerned. She tightened her grip on the handlebar above her head as her thoughts brought back old, forgotten images that tore at her heart, sapping her strength as she gritted her teeth. It was only through sheer willpower that she kept her ears from flattening against her head.

Her additional worry upon realizing that Oobleck had changed their mission from simply cleaning up Grimm in the sector to actively looking for the White Fang's hideout meant the Faunus girl was on edge. Before, they'd been on a personal mission to take down Torchwick; now, it just felt like they were following Ozpin's orders, even if their objective hadn't changed.

And yet, there was something else.

There was always some sort of reasoning, almost like a small cloud of doubt in the back of her mind, that Weiss still hated her. It was a ridiculous assumption; hadn't Weiss already told her, to her face no less, how much she trusted her back in the courtyard? If the heiress still harbored resentment towards her, she was hiding it very well. That, or it wasn't influencing her actions at all. At that point, would it even matter if she did?

Blake sighed. She _knew_ that the thought was pointless.

Yet that did nothing to chase it from that spot in her mind.

…did she even deserve Weiss's forgiveness?

' _You owe nobody ANYTHING.'_

Golden eyes shone with conflicting emotions as she glanced at the black ribbon tied at the base of her teammate's ponytail.

* * *

It was tough work. Every pack of Beowolves that fell to the team simply gave a preview of what was to come. It almost seem like they were fighting through the entire city's population of Grimm.

It didn't help that Oobleck wasn't assisting them _at all_. At one point, Yang had asked why; though the answer was round-about, it still made sense: If their huntsman had to fight, it either meant that the mission had gotten out of hand, or they were not strong enough to take on the task. The latter meant a failing grade, of course, seeing as this was the natural procedure for 'search and destroy' missions employed to full-fledged huntsman.

That particular fact did nothing to alleviate her frustration, however.

Her final target collapsed in front of her. Taking the moment to reload her gauntlets, she heard the professor speak up to her side.

"Ah, Mrs. Xiao Long. Would you kindly explain why you applied to Beacon Academy?"

Though his choice of wording seemed rude, his tone suggested genuine interest in the answer, which caught Yang's rebuttal in her throat.

Still, Yang couldn't help but scoff to herself. She was on a field mission; what kind of Taiyang-style 'life lessons' was he going to dispense on her now? Still, she supposed putting it into words wouldn't be the worst idea.

"Well, I guess I've just always loved to fight. And this sort of line of work helps me achieve that goal. This way, I'll always have something to take my mind off of my problems, to relieve whatever tension's built up inside of me; helping out those who need help is a great bonus along the way."

She flashed her teacher a grin, only for her face to fall as he seemed unfazed by her words. Instead, he looked down at his clipboard, his mouth twisting slightly.

"Very well then."

And with that, he walked off, moving in the direction of where her team was regrouping.

Suddenly, Yang started feeling a little sick. A knot formed in her stomach; the same one that she'd felt back when she'd grown frustrated about her lack of progress connecting with her fellow teammates.

Something about the dismissal just… _bothered_ her.

Weiss had to wonder how exactly the White Fang had managed to set up shop in such an infested location. It worried her that they'd have to fight through hordes of the creatures before they reached the White Fang hideout; she only hoped that the discontent the group held meant they were suffering similar fates of being worn down by pack after pack of Beowolves.

Yet, even when her muscles started to scream from over-exertion, she never allowed herself to falter.

_After all, I have people that I care about now. Ones I can't let down._

It probably helped that fighting was keeping her mind off of Blake.

Well, to a certain degree, at least.

"Mrs. Schnee, what can you tell me about your future plans? What made you come all the way to Vale when you have a major position already laid out for you in Atlas?"

Weiss promptly ignored the question for a moment, taking a second to deliver another unconscious rapier strike to her opponent, her form flowing perfectly along expertly practiced techniques that were slightly adjusted for true battle conditions.

As the slain beast disintegrated on the ground, she brought her head up to her teacher. His expression was intrigued but otherwise unreadable behind his enormous spectacles.

"It's my duty to uphold my family's name. When I found out how much I was capable of doing, I couldn't possibly waste my time sitting at home, waiting for some sort of crown to be put on my head. I wanted to take action, to prove to the world how much I can do even without everything being handed to me. Now that I'm here, I have people who I… _trust_ very much, so I can't just turn back now."

She found herself surprised when Oobleck's only response was a curt nod. She couldn't see his eyes, but the faint frown on his lips suggested dissatisfaction. The gesture caused Weiss's blood to boil.

For once, the redness present in her cheeks wasn't from embarrassment, but from actual anger.

Sure, maybe she'd left some stuff out, but that was personal!

Okay, maybe it was _a bit_ from embarrassment.

_It's not like he has a right to know anyway!_

As Blake kicked in the old wooden door, her golden gaze scanned through the darkness and picked out small shapes stirring, hidden within.

It seemed that the shelter hadn't been as abandoned as she thought.

Jumping through the rafters, Blake gunned down several younger Nevermores as their calls screeched against her bound ears, her face finally loosening up as the last one fell to the ground, silenced.

As she loaded another clip of bullets into her pistol, she almost fell herself when she heard Oobleck speak up from beside her, sitting on another wooden beam.

"So what of yourself, Mrs. Belladonna? Why do you want to become a huntress?"

Golden eyes narrowed. The instructor held a clipboard in his hands, likely ready to report anything he found suspicious back to his superior. Despite this, Blake hummed to herself, working out a reasonable response that she felt even their headmaster would find appropriate.

"Well, I'd like to be able to protect those who need to be protected. There are those who suffer in the world and, if I can prove myself by being able to fight off even the most dangerous of Grimm, I can help them from their suffering as well. To me, it's a pillar of morality that allows us shine past even our darkest attributes. Isn't that what being a huntsman was all about? Showing the world your righteousness, no matter who you are?"

Initially, Oobleck seemed impressed by her answer, but his smile faded as she'd concluded. It caused her brows to furrow.

Oobleck didn't even jot anything down on his paper; instead, he simply pushed himself off the rafters and stepped over broken planks of wood in the entranceway.

Blake couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. It felt like she'd just failed a test that she didn't realize that she was taking. Perhaps that's what is was, though: a simple question to know where she felt she laid in her mind.

_Yet, if that's what I believe in, how could it be considered wrong?_

* * *

"Uh, Professor?"

"DOCTOR."

"Right… Doctor, I have a question I'd like to ask you."

"Does it have something to do with the subject I've been talking to your teammates about today?"

"Yes… well, yes and no. I was wondering: Why did YOU become a huntsman?"

Oobleck looked down at the red-haired girl and let a small smile cross his face. Ozpin had clearly not been wrong when he had assigned her to be the leader of her team. It seemed she was able to think about such subjects without requiring encouragement from the outside.

It was a quality he saw only occasionally amongst a select few students.

"Tell me, Ruby. When you think of Mountain Glenn, what does it say to you?"

Ruby shuffled at the question, a hand coming up to scratch at the back of her neck. She brought up a hand, gesturing around her. "Uh, well, to be honest, sir? A bunch of old ruins that we've been climbing through all day."

Her teacher chuckled at the wording. Despite her impressive leadership skills, it was clear that this girl was still years younger than her companions; he noted her rather immature answers to his inquiring questions in the classroom.

Still though, that did not necessarily mean that she was naïve or foolish. Or innocent. If what Qrow said about how she acted after Summer died was true…

Oobleck's face shifted, causing the leader to stop in her tracks, clearly shocked by his sudden change in demeanor.

"Young lady. Whilst your interpretation is certainly correctly, I can safely say there is more to this place than rocks and ancient tales."

He looked out over the street, eyes gazing over the area in calculated thought.

"When I was studying became a huntsman, I was just like many of your peers. To me, being a huntsman simply meant honing your battle skills. It became clear after I joined my class at Beacon that there was much more to it than that. To be a huntsman, you must possess skills of a wide variety; to understand both your opponents and those you are fighting alongside. There is so much information in such fields of study, subjects ranging through the many classes you yourself have sat through at school, Mrs. Rose. Indeed, this mission itself is part of the work you must complete before you graduate, which puts more value into it beyond whatever you personally may put in it at this very moment. Yet, no one goes to a huntsman academy simply to read from the textbooks. To say that you came to Beacon because of a path you were looking to follow is not just incorrect, it is quite literally the opposite of the truth. Indeed, I did not become a huntsman because of any one reason, Ruby."

Oobleck paused, pushing the rim of his glasses back up his nose. His smile grew into one of great pride.

"I became a huntsman and it was from there that my path ahead was forged."

Though her initial reaction was a quick blink, Ruby's face soon drew into a warm grin of her own.

Part of her didn't fully understand what he meant, but it seemed it was his way of explaining to her what the future held in store for herself and her team.

Or perhaps one they were experiencing already.

* * *

**Oobleck's speech in the episode was awesome. Seriously, that speech is still one of my favorite scenes in the entire show (outside of the shipping stuff, of course.)**


	15. Mountain Glenn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 10, 'Mountain Glenn'**

* * *

 

' _Well, it doesn't matter. We know why we're here. Right?'_

Weiss wasn't so sure. In fact, if that were true, she probably wouldn't be laying on her back thinking about this, would she?

Ironically, it wasn't for the reason she'd been expecting. She was honestly perfectly fine with the girl constantly invading her thoughts sleeping less than a meter away from her.

At least there was a fire between them.

No, it may have something to do with her teammates currently discussing the aforementioned subject.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

"Why do you think he asked us about being a huntress? Like… what was he trying to say?"

_Huh. So I wasn't the only one…_

The heiress kept to herself as Yang shifted up onto her arm to face Blake, waiting for a reply.

The brunette didn't answer immediately, instead returning the violet gaze with a golden one, before her eyes shifted over the fire. On the other side, the flowing locks of white hair turned orange with the glow of the rising embers.

"Maybe he was just curious."

"You think?"

Their eyes met again.

…

"…no."

Yang set herself back down, sighing in frustration. At this rate, she wasn't going to get any sleep. Though their original plan had called for three of them to search during the night, Oobleck already knowing about the White Fang hideout made sneaking off pointless. Even if he'd been busy picking flowers all day, he WAS technically a huntsman; it would be better to work WITH him than without.

Still, she couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said, even when they were supposed to be resting for tomorrow. Thus, she turned towards the other girl.

"Weiss, are you awake?"

" _Of course I'm awake, you two are talking!"_

The fiery blonde winced at the hiss before rolling her eyes. "Well," she started, trying to make her voice softer to soothe the ice queen's agitation, "what do you think? Why did he want to know why we came to Beacon?"

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut. She'd been on this question for hours and any possible answer she had come up with was thrown out when Ruby had said Oobleck never questioned her.

_It didn't make any sense. What does Ruby that that the rest of us don't?_

After a few seconds, the heiress replied, though it was less of an answer and more of a question itself. "Maybe it has something to do with the answers we gave him? I- do you think he already knew what we were going to tell him?"

Blake shivered silently. Yang noticed and threw her partner a worried glance.

Weiss continued. "I mean, I told him what I thought, but… I guess what I said wasn't exactly the truth."

"So you think he was trying to show us that we were lying to ourselves?" The blonde asked.

"I guess. Only after he dismissed me did I start to think that… maybe my thoughts weren't right." She bit her lip. "Maybe he thought we'd have a better answer that we were hiding from him."

Suddenly, the Faunus girl sat up, looking over the fire at her teammate. "That's impossible. Are you saying he KNEW what we were thinking even when we ourselves didn't realize? He's not a mind-reader!"

" _And for all we know, he very well might be!_ "

Blake's black bow crumpled. She would normally never let her ears flatten while she wore it, but since she was with her friends, it didn't matter. She'd considered removing it entirely since she already suspected Ozpin had already told their teacher about her ears, but she wouldn't have been able to take it if Oobleck just continued on as if they didn't exist and did not want to deal with explaining herself on the off-chance that he didn't actually know.

Weiss drew in a breath. "Sorry. That was rude of me."

Lilac eyes rolled again. "No kidding."

The snow-haired girl didn't enjoy letting her emotions get the better of her, but being at Beacon had changed her, for better or worse. On one hand, she was better able to connect with others without the stress of her father hanging over them, but it also removed the lid on her temper that was kept in check by the very same threat. Add lovesickness into the mix…

It felt like some sort of terrible curse.

"When I said I wanted to honor my family name, I meant it. By becoming a huntress, I can show the world who I _really_ am. Not a shadow of my father's corporation but a strong fighter with skills honed to expertise over years of practice."

Icy blue drifted over her teammates. "Before my father, my mother's father, Nicholas Schnee, was the owner of the Schnee Dust Company and its founder. He went on every mining expedition, no matter how dangerous or how daring it was, because he wouldn't let his men suffer without him. HE was a real hero. HE is the one I want to take after, not my father. And I never would have accomplished that back in Atlas, with him there watching over me the whole time."

The brunette shuffled up, turning towards her friend. "Your grandfather sounds like a great man. I can see why you'd want to follow in his footsteps."

Pale skin turned light pink at the praise. "Yeah. And I'd bet you he didn't care whether his workers were Faunus or not, because to him, they were all his fellow men."

At this, Blake's lips curled into a half-smirk, half-grimace.

"If only he was still in charge."

Yang's brows furrowed. "So, what does any of that have to do with Oobleck's question? Did he want to teach you to be honest about respecting your elders or something?"

Weiss shot her a glare as the flush on her face began to fade. "Why, did your reason have something to do with your grandparents?"

The brawler sighed again, laying back with her hands behind her head. "Not really, it's just… I talked about how it was just sort of the natural progress for what I wanted to do. I like to fight; what better way to fight as much as you want than to become a huntress? I can even learn tons of new techniques to improve my form along the way."

At this, the heiress scoffed. "Well then, maybe it would help if you actually did the work you were supposed to instead of leaving it until the last minute!"

Suddenly, Yang sat up and returned her glare with a glower. "I do actually study, you know! Just because I'd rather enjoy myself when free time presents itself doesn't make me a bad student." She lowered her head to her knees and sheepishly grumbled. "Just because I get bored with Port's long ramblings doesn't mean I don't keep up with the rest of his material."

At this, Blake stifled a chuckle and Weiss muffled a giggle.

In truth, the white-haired girl sometimes thought of the blonde as though she was the 'big sister' of the rest of the team. Yes, that was already the case for Ruby but Yang's attitude tended to expand her care beyond her sibling, even if she still held the red-haired girl high.

She'd never admit it, but the brawler sometimes reminded her of her own older sister, Winter, but _significantly_ less strict.

And much more willing to show her kindness.

The blonde hung her head low at the laughter while managing to conceal a small grin. But as quickly as it split across her face, it disappeared. She snuck a look at the red cloak at the edge of her vision.

"I guess… I didn't really know why I wanted to come to the academy in the first place. It always seemed like I'd just break through whatever life threw at me but… sometimes, I feel like I don't know what I'm doing." She bit her lip. "It feels like the first years of my life all over again."

Neither of the other girls answered this. The mood became quickly became dark. Blake grasped her neck as her pulse thundered.

"I… didn't really know what I was going to do when I left the White Fang. I knew that I'd have to face them again one day but I never thought it would come so soon. I thought I'd be more prepared for this."

At this point, the bow on top of her head had fully depressed, her ears pinned directly to her head as the form around it deflated without something keeping it in place.

She started feeling lightheaded.

"A traitor, one that ran away and didn't know what to do from there. Even my semblance mocks me; I've never been able to take a problem head-on."

Yang couldn't do anything but look at her partner, purple orbs glossed as she rattled her brain for some way to express her sympathy. To make her friend's thoughts stop hurting herself.

Weiss's mind, however, was still on her words describing the shadow clones. She felt her stomach twist as long forgotten images of her Faunus teammate being skewed through the stomach flashed through her mind.

"You're wrong, Blake."

Feline ears shot up, even under its constraints. Gold sunk into pale strands once more. Even the blonde turned her gaze towards their companion.

"If it wasn't for your semblance, you wouldn't be here right now. Just because you choose to relate your abilities to running away doesn't make your fighting style cowardly. It makes you cautious, agile, practical..." She bit her lip as she thought for a better word to end on.

"Unpredictable?" Yang offered.

Icy blue shone at the brawler with gratitude. "Yeah. And..." Weiss propped herself up on her arm, brushing it with her other hand. "If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one who's ever run from their problems."

Blake's only reply was a hum. Though she seemed satisfied with these objections, she made no move to express it fully, leaving the other two to shuffle around.

Yang clicked her lips. "…so, Oobleck just asked us why we became huntresses so that we could feel bad about ourselves? Or make us comfort each other?"

"No, I think I got it."

Both Yang and Blake looked up in shock. Their snow-haired friend was hugging her knees to her chest, azure eyes staring into the burning pit.

"To us, going to the academy was a means to an end in our lives, something that would help us accomplish a personal goal that we're striving for. But that's NOT what being a huntress is about. It's about standing at the front lines of humanity's struggle for survive. It's about being able to sacrifice everything you love to help others."

The blonde's eyes widened, her head twisting to sneak a peek at her little sister, still looking through Cresent Rose's scope and lightly stroking Zwei's head as the small dog sat in her lap.

"That's why Oobleck never asked her, then?" She croaked out.

Weiss nodded dejectedly. "That's what she has that the rest of us don't."

The Faunus closed her eyes, her hands clutching her knees. "It's what she said the first night at Beacon. And it's probably why she's our leader."

The heiress smiled at her partner searching the streets. "Yeah. Ozpin never made a mistake."

The next few seconds had them sit in silence, which ended when Yang let out a sniffle.

"Yang?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing guys," she lied, trying to wipe her eyes with balled-up fists, "I'm just thinking back to some older memories. From when the two of us were still just kids."

"We're _all_ still kids, Yang. We haven't even finished our first full-fledged mission." Blake fell back onto her sleeping bag, amber eyes flickering with the rolling flames of their campfire. "We wouldn't be here if there wasn't something driving us, but now that we're here, that something isn't what we should be aiming for anymore."

Weiss turned her head towards the other two. "You're right, Blake. It's not. Now we have a duty to do; no matter what brought us here, we have a job that goes beyond everything else."

Above, Oobleck's lips curled up into a proud smile.

Azure met lilac.

Lilac met amber.

Amber met azure.

And quickly broke apart, a deep scarlet blush shared between the two.

Violet watched a hand cover silky white and a hand cover velvety black.

A smug smirk broke across Yang's face again.

"Say, Weiss? Blake, Ruby and I had a cool idea we came up with. It has to do with your guys' ribbons…"

* * *

 

It had to have been past one in the morning. Yang had just started her watch, leaving her sleeping bag for her little sister to pass out on, exhausted after a long, hard day's work.

Blake's breathing had slowed to a soft rumble, the occasion hints of a purr in her quiet snoring.

But Weiss wasn't awake to listen to her crush make cute noises in her sleep.

No, she had another mission that just so happened to also be related to the Faunus girl.

Trembling fingers dug the loaded vials out of Myrtenaster's chamber with more than slight annoyance. The heiress was used to taking the casings out when they were empty, so lifting out full ones by her fingernails was significantly more difficult.

And frustrating.

She _really_ should have brought extra ammunition.

But it was a small price to pay.

Weiss felt her focus drift as fatigue from the long day set in, as the thought of dawn approaching in only a few hours began sapping energy from her body in the hopes of forcing her eyes closed.

Yet, she pressed on.

Her mind thought back to her dust theory textbook, her class notes on dust and her own weapon. Her own semblance.

_If I can do it…_

She shuffled through her pack before finally finding what she was looking for. Each of them had practiced with the others' weapons, in the rare event that they had to rely on another teammate's armory if need be. She slowly emptied the gunpowder bullets out of the black clip and began loading each dust vial in one by one.

Though the fire continued to burn slowly, she could easily make out the figure on the other side, licked by the light of their heat source. Blake's chest rose and fell rhythmically, sympathetic nerves pulling on Weiss's last stores of consciousness. Yet, even as she felt her face warm from rushing blood, her heart remained calm and steady.

It was the will to give her teammate something she could be proud to have that drove her on.

* * *

 

"Hey, where's Ruby?"

Though Weiss would have normally just ignored any attempts Yang usually made to walk her up, her mind quickly factored in Ruby's disappearance and forced her body to rise, looking around as Oobleck appeared in the doorway.

Suddenly, Zwei came running into the ruined building, barking wildly. Though Blake's hair stood on end, she shared a look of concern with the heiress as Yang quickly identified his barking as relating to their missing team leader.

With little time to pack up camp, the trio and their professor searched through the rubble in the streets, following after the corgi. Soon, Yang was shaking, clearly concerned that her sister was alone in a city full of Grimm.

"Yang, it's alright." Weiss gave her arm a shake. "Ruby's our leader. She took Crescent Rose with her so she can definitely handle herself."

The blonde flashed a wary smile. "Thanks, Weiss. I know I'm probably overreacting, but…" Her voice drifted off as she looked off into the distance.

Silently, the heiress wondered to herself if Winter felt that way when she'd left Atlas.

Blake frowned. She knew the story that Yang had hinted at throughout the night. About how the two sisters had been attacked by Grimm when they were children. Even if it was an irrational fear now that Ruby had grown into a strong fighter, she could tell that old memories died hard for the brawler.

Suddenly, the hitching of Yang's breath pulled her back to reality. Following the lilac gaze, she froze as she saw Zwei scratching at a large red piece of metal.

They instantly recognized the scythe.

The blonde wasted no time. She cupped her hands around her mouth, tears ready to burst, as she screamed out into the night. "RUBY?! RUBY, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Though their teacher seemed slightly concerned by the elder sibling's terrified tone, he walked past the weapon and knelt at the edge of the enormous hole behind it. Weiss followed her teacher. "Do you think she fell down there?" She asked, only to receive no reply. She looked back at Blake, who was trying to calm her partner down, before she heard the professor whisper.

" _Of course_ … Of course, OF COURSE, _OF COURSE!_ "

The trio immediately looked towards Oobleck, even Yang stopping her desperate shouts as he started pacing back and forth.

"HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID?!"

Yang winced at his stranded voice as she managed to regain her composure. "Doctor Oobleck, what is it?"

As though he'd been woken from a trance, their instructor walked right up to them, the three girls (and Zwei) standing at attention.

"Mountain Glenn! Yes, an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people commuting to the city, the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find?! The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!"

Though stunned by his sudden dispensing of history, the blonde quickly caught on, remembering their conversations on the airship. "Wait, are you trying to say-"

But Oobleck beat her to the punch, grabbing her shoulders and startling her. "We're not just looking for underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!"

If she wasn't paralyzed by the fear of whatever danger her sister was probably in, Yang would've cursed the fact that she hadn't thought of that pun first.

Blake pinched her nose, trying to catch up on her professor's quick-paced explanation. "Wait, so… the reason we haven't been able to find them is because they've been working below ground? In caves?"

Oobleck shook his head.

"No, no. Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense, and unique transportation. The city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival. They took up shelter beneath the city, in massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway and cut themselves off from the surface in a safe haven. Until..."

Suddenly, his expression turned dark, his eyes filled with grief.

"…an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb."

Weiss looked around, first meeting Blake's eyes and then Yang's. The purple orbs were wide and glossed over, as though the larger girl was about to break down.

Her teammates seemed to reflect the pain that the doctor held, but she had never heard of such a massacre when studying back at home. The heiress took a step forward, looking down into the abyss below and imagining the horrified shrieks of helpless civilians being overrun by an endless horde of Grimm.

Even as it made her stomach turn, it only reinforced her desire to find her partner. Yet she couldn't imagine what _Yang_ must have been feeling at that moment, knowing her sister might be lost in the dark void below.

"If Ruby is down there…"

The trio looked up, each taking a step back in shock as Oobleck's thermos extended into a much larger weapon form.

"…we must find her."

* * *

 

***DUN NUN NUN NUN NUN NUN NUN NUN DUN***

**Oobleck's awesome. Enough said.**

**Was debating how much I wanted to change the last scene. Ended up changing less than I was expecting, honestly.**


	16. No Brakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 2, Chapter 11, 'No Brakes'**

* * *

Most of the pain didn't come from the cane slamming into Ruby's body.

It came from her collision with the floor.

She tried to rise back to her feet, only to be knocked over again, wincing as Torchwick's laugh scratched at her ears.

"You know, Perry, I really _did_ need this. But seriously…"

He knelt down to bring his head level with the red-cloaked girl, lifting her chin up with his cane.

"How'd you find us, little Red?"

***BANG***

"What the-"

Roman turned around towards the sound as he heard shouting and gunfire. Off in the distance, he could see White Fang troopers yelling orders at each other when something exploded in the middle of the group, knocking them off their feet. There was a familiar flash of gold and white behind the smoke.

Torchwick narrowed his eyes and brought a hand up over his forehead to try and focus the intruders into view, only to find his vision blocked and a massive weight on his shoulders. He quickly through the object forwards, only to realize that said object was, in fact, his prisoner.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Ruby was already sprinting off as he angrily gave his command. "SOMEBODY _KILL HER_!"

His bodyguards fired off several rounds from their rifles as he himself launched a burst from his cane, but none of the shots landed anywhere near Ruby as her semblance kicked in and she shot off into the distance.

Oobleck wisely took a step to the side, Yang appearing behind him and stretching out her arms.

"RUBY!"

"YANG!"

The smaller girl literally flew into her older sister's embrace, the blonde spinning them around. Both Weiss and Blake joined the hug, relief flooding over them as they hadn't realized they'd also been so anxious to find their leader again. Zwei barked up at his owner happily.

"Hey, Yang?" Ruby asked as her sister put her down, "Remember how I said I didn't want to learn hand-to-hand combat?"

"Hmmm?" The brawler barely registered the words, too busy checking her little sister over to make sure she really was alright.

"I fully retract that statement."

Blake smiled and handed her leader her folded weapon. "Well, maybe I can teach you some moves later. For now, though…" She glared off into the distance, where Roman was already barking off orders at his minions.

The red-haired girl fixed her gaze off into the distance as well. "He seemed to be loading stuff onto a train."

"What? That's ridiculous!" Oobleck pushed his glasses up. "These tunnels are sealed off, the tracks lead to a dead end!"

As if to answer his insistence, a loud train horn pierced the air, the group trying to block the sudden noise as they brought their hands up to their ears.

Despite her feline ears still ringing, the brunette was the first to respond. "Well, it looks like they're going somewhere!"

"Hang on." Ruby took out her scroll and began searching through portraits on it. "Let me call Jaune."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Oh, terrific. I'm sure he'll come and stop Torchwick all by herself."

Her leader glared back up at her partner. "Well, it's better than nothing! And if you have an issue with it being him, I can tell you that he'll definitely bring the rest of Team JNPR with him!"

The heiress simply turned away and huffed, though their professor spoke up. "Miss Rose, I don't believe Mister Arc will have time to organize a response party before-"

"I know that! Still, we need to let _someone_ know! Come on, come on…" Ruby bit her lip as her phone kept ringing and let out a growl of frustration when the signal died.

"Well, it looks like we really are on our own, then. Looks like we're stopping that… wha-"

As she looked up, her teammates, teacher and pet were already sprinting off back towards the train, leaving her in the dust. Sighing, she shot off after them in a flurry of petals.

* * *

As they clambered onto the rooftop of the caboose, most of the group took a second to catch their breath, but it wasn't more than a few seconds before Weiss spoke up, opening the hatch in the roof and catching their attention. "Uh, professor?"

"DOCTOR." Even behind his glasses, Weiss could tell he was glaring.

"What's _that_?" She pointed at a large, cylindrical metal object sitting on the floor of the boxcar.

Oobleck kneeled down for a second to take in the sight, Zwei sitting next to them. "That, my dear, appears to be a bomb."

The word shook Team RWBY. If they weren't awake before, they _definitely_ were now.

Her silver eyes still wide, Ruby pointed ahead. "We've got baddies!"

The others followed her arm to see dozens of White Fang members approaching slowly from several cars ahead, keeping their balance atop the speeding train.

Oobleck bit his lip. "Well, I didn't expect them to go-"

**BEEP BEEP BEEP**

The small screen on the bomb below lit up red.

"-easy on us… Time to go!"

The girls needed no further prompting. Whilst most of the team sprinted forwards, their supervisor stopped the Faunus girl. "Blake, detach the caboose! It'll kill us all!"

"On it!"

Admittedly, this wasn't exactly the first time she'd done something like this. _I suppose it's reasonable to have that kind of experience_. Blake smiled humorously as she jumped down between the cars, drawing back Gambol Shroud in preparation for the severing strike.

…only for the lock to open itself, friction slowing down the freed car.

"Huh?!" Confused, she looked up at her teacher. "It decoupled itself!"

"What?!"

"I guess he _really_ doesn't want us on this train." Yang stretched the back of her head, suddenly feeling they'd severely underestimated their opponent.

Oobleck stood in shock as a huge explosion blew apart the car behind them. "That's not good..."

"Uh, neither is this!"

At the sound of the young leader's voice, the two turned around as Blake hauled herself onto the roof. Ruby and Weiss stood lifting up that car's hatch.

Blake could easily guess what it was, but she was still stunned. "ANOTHER bomb?!"

Oobleck looked back at the wreck behind them before running ahead, jumping to the next car. "No, no, no…"

One look below confirmed his fears.

"THEY ALL HAVE BOMBS!"

Even before his yell finished, the device in Team RWBY's car spooled up, the car already detaching. Wasting no time, Weiss led the group, summoning a large platform glyph in the gap as they leapt off the second trapped car.

As they landed on the next boxcar, they loaded their weapons as the White Fang soldiers finally reached them. One particularly eager grunt pulled out a spear and aimed it at Weiss, sneering at his chance to finally take on a Schnee.

Rolling her eyes and summoning a glyph under her feet, the heiress launched herself at their first challenger, slicing the spearhead off and sending him flying back with a cry of shock.

As more troops charged, her heartbeat picked up quickly, her mind slowly becoming less and less aware of her surroundings as her movements became gracefully automatic. Myrtenaster glanced against weapon after weapon as enemy after enemy was knocked out.

The fight was an organized mess. She struck forward, blocking an incoming sword with a glyph as Yang hiked herself over her shoulder and delivered a kick to the assailant's face. A dance of gleaming steel shone past as Ruby knocked over a couple of troops aiming rifles. At one point, Blake mirrored her leader's movements, the duo fighting side by side.

Years of pain from the strictness and tension of her family life vanished as Weiss plowed ahead, smiling mischievously as she launched another opponent off to the side with a well-placed glyph. As she looked back, she saw only a handful of their adversaries lying unconscious on the boxcar, one of which was frozen in a shard of ice she didn't remember summoning.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so alive.

* * *

Oobleck soon worked out that the exploding cars were breaking open the tunnel to the surface, meaning that Torchwick was leading Grimm towards Vale with the train. He ordered Weiss, Blake and Yang to go through the cars and try to 'stop this train' (for some reason that Weiss herself couldn't figure out, her partner glared at the doctor after he said this).

The trio hit the floor of the train car with a loud bang. Yang stood at the front of the group and stretched her arms over her head. "Well, I guess this is what we trained for."

Neither of her teammates decided to dignify that pun with a response.

Dusting off her skirt, the heiress felt her hand bump the cartridge of dust she had in her holster. Smiling, she took it and extended it out to Blake, prompting a look of surprise from her crush.

"Here. I made this for you. After what you said before about your semblance, I thought… well…" She felt her shoulders hike up. Unfortunately, she hadn't planned out what she was going to say and now her mind was drawing a blank.

Blake blinked, color flashing on her cheeks. Suddenly, she broke out into a grateful smile, taking the ammunition gladly with a shy nod.

"Hey, once you two lovebirds are done flirting, we should probably move on!"

Two pairs of golden and blue eyes glared at their golden-haired teammate, who flashed a bright smile back at their flushing faces.

They stopped only a few paces ahead, however, as a disturbingly familiar face dropped from the roof.

_Neo._

Weiss felt a shiver roll through her. The last time she'd seen the girl, she'd seen something she hoped she would never have to see again. Her brows pinched in rage as she reached for her sword.

"You guys go on ahead, this one's _mine_."

The white-haired girl threw a glower up at her blonde teammate, one that was shared by the brunette. Technically, Oobleck said they needed to get to the front as soon as possible, but…

"Didn't you guys hear me?! I said GET GOING!"

Red surged through the brawler's eyes as she stole a glance at her shorter teammate, her hair smoking noticeably.

Weiss exchanged a glance with Blake, taking a moment to share a silent acknowledgement before they bolted ahead. They didn't even need to lift their weapons as a shot from Ember Celica flew past them and forced the pink and brown-haired girl to dodge out of their way.

Though thoughts of her developing feelings for her Faunus teammate continued to linger absentmindedly in her head, Weiss forced them away. She carried along through the train alongside the brunette, their eyes only meeting for a second as a motor echoed through the corridor.

Ahead of them appeared an enormous White Fang member, wielding the largest chainsaw she'd ever seen.

"You go on ahead!"

The words left Weiss's mouth before she even realized it. It seemed to even stun Blake, whose pupils constricted at the order. However, seeing the sudden confidence shining back, she nodded. "Got it!"

Picking up her pace, the heiress ran ahead and struck at the bar of the giant tool, deflecting a quick blow off to the side and swiping methodically against every lunge at her. She summoned a glyph for Blake to jump on, launching the other girl over their large opponent. Another glyph at her own feet shot the heiress forwards, smacking away another strike and throwing her adversary's weight back. One final jab knocked him off his feet, sending him crashing to the ground.

As she resettled her stance, the heiress gave a confident smile to her crush, urging the brunette onwards despite the worried look on the other girl's face.

But suddenly Blake stopped, looking back as the concern in her amber eyes pleadingly asked a question, one Weiss simply couldn't decipher.

As time began to slow down around her, the snow-haired girl's mind quickly searched for some way to convey her thoughts to her teammate. In the end, she did the first thing that came to mind.

She winked.

As soon as she did, she felt a soul-crushing amount of regret. Now wasn't the time for that kind of stuff, _especially_ when she couldn't summon that much courage to express affection for the Faunus girl in ANY other situation. Courage that had far more practical uses at the moment.

Thankfully, her fear ebbed away as Blake slowly returned a pleasant smile before turning forwards and slamming through the door to the next car. Though the heiress thought she'd imagined it, she could've swore she saw a shade of pink flash across her teammate's face.

She shook her head and returned to her battle stance as the large White Fang member rose in front of her again, his disturbingly creepy chuckle and the slow chugging of the chainsaw's engine refocusing her mind on the real battle.

Weiss spun Myrtenaster's chamber with her thumb, dully noting how little dust she had without the vials she'd given to Blake. She couldn't afford to allow herself to get distracted now; no relationship issues should be at the front of her mind when she had a foe like this to fight.

* * *

Blake forced open yet another door, hoping she would reach the front soon, without any more distractions. With Yang stuck fighting that tiny terror and Weiss facing off again the giant lieutenant (a man she could remember from longer ago than she was willing to admit), her task was now even more time-sensitive.

Her blood boiled as a head of orange hair came into view. Torchwick stood before her, twirling his cane up to his shoulder, a wicked smile on his face.

"Hello, Kitty Cat. Ya miss me? You know, we really oughta stop meeting like this, people are gonna talk."

She didn't respond to his obvious taunting, instead shooting forwards. Roman growled as he reflexively brought up his cane over his head.

_Time to see how exactly this works…_

As Blake activated her semblance, it felt as though fire was coursing through her veins. As she rolled along the ground, she felt sheer satisfaction as Roman shouted out in pain from the blast behind her.

Jumping up, she delivered several blows directly to his chest, sending him flying back.

_Dust, his aura's strong…_

Roman hit the ground with little more than a grunt. Blake landed on two feet and took Gambol Shroud's sheath in her left hand, duel wielding and ready for her next opening.

The chance came quick as Torchwick stood back up and launched a shot from the end of his cane at her.

Her skin crawled as she shifted into the air, an earthen clone taking her place and shattering as the blinding blast collided with it.

The cane struck out once again towards her lunging figure, catching a shadow clone as she hit the floor and attacked with both swords, twirling and relentlessly pressing forward with two slashes on each turn. Gritting his teeth, Torchwick just barely managed to knock away each strike in an incredible display of precision.

Then he swing forwards again, only to find his weapon stuck in the abdomen of a clone made of ice. As the Faunus girl flipped backwards, she slammed her blades together. It sent a massive shockwave flying forwards and blew the criminal off his feet, slamming him into the door at the other end of the carriage.

His attempts to get up were halted by a sharp press of Blake's heel into his stomach, Gambol Shroud's katana inches from his face.

Pinned and now clearly outmatched, he quickly changed his approach. His tone became disturbing fearless for his position. "So. This is the point we've arrived at, huh? What are you gonna do? Slice me into pieces? Is that going to make you feel better? Is it going to turn your life into a fairytale where everyone lives happily ever after? After you murder me in cold blood?"

His words were chilling. Blake forced back a wince, holding her face in stone. She knew he had committed worse crimes than just dust robbery; he was working with the White Fang now for crying out loud, and she would be the one who knew exactly what that would entail. Yet, the idea of spilling blood still tugged at her nerves, whether he was a horrible person or not. She KNEW the White Fang would never leave her past. She KNEW that, but…

She cleared her mind, replacing her flaring temper with thoughts of her teammates. Her newfound friends. Friends that CARED about her.

_Weiss…_

The brunette hadn't realized her breathing had become ragged until she was calming herself down. She looked down at Torchwick, her mind now ready to deal with his taunts and devise a plan to bring him back to Vale and turn him over to the police.

But then, her gaze was pulled from the criminal as a familiar engine revved up.

Her burning blood ran cold as she saw Weiss tumble into the car, crashing face-first to the cold metal floor, with the White Fang lieutenant advancing slowly towards her.

Roman sneered. "So, what's it gonna be, _Blake_?"

For a second, several possible scenarios flashed through the Faunus girl's mind. A small part of the remaining bloodlust roaring through her suggested just skewering the redheaded maniac; forget her issues.

_Just be done with it, end the problems he's causing._

The reasonable side of her quickly took hold and concluded that 'murder' was NOT something she wanted to add to her ongoing list of regrets.

The next option that passed through her mind was to try and carry both Weiss and Torchwick out of there.

_Yeah, sure, if I was Yang._

She threw this idea out without a second thought.

Finally, the brunette decided on the most practical of her choices: A quick snap-kick to the face, knocking him out cold and sending his stupid bowler hat flying. She spun around and ran back to her teammate's side, pulling the heiress's chest up onto her own. Weiss was still breathing, but whatever consciousness she still held wasn't enough for her to stand on her own.

She could _feel_ how damaged her friend's aura was.

' _Don't say that! I'd trust you with my life!'_

Blake only took one look at the advancing lieutenant. Before he was able to lunge forward, the duo had already vanished.

* * *

…

…

…

" _-eis-"_

…

" _-iss!"_

"Weiss!"

As soon as she recognized her name, renewed energy shot through the heiress's body. Not even bothering to grab for Myrtenaster and ignoring the sound of screeching metal around her, she shot upwards, only to smack against something above, eliciting a cry of shock from… whatever it was.

Groaning and rubbing her forehead, Weiss's icy eyes drew open and found themselves only inches from her crush's face.

The brunette's own amber eyes were screwed shut as she caressed her own bruise. A moan slipped through Blake's lips. "Ow…"

"I… sorry." Weiss apologized, looking down at her lap. She couldn't decide if her cheeks were burning because she'd failed to defeat her opponent and had to be rescued or because Blake's lips had been so close to hers.

The Faunus girl gave a small grin. "Don't be. I'm just glad you're alright."

The heiress screwed her eyes closed, her mind wriggling with frustration.

_Calm down! She's only saying that because we're teammates! You should be glad that she's alright too!_

Looking around, Weiss noticed they were on top of the train once more. And that the rest of her team and the professor were still unaccounted for.

"You guys!"

And just like that, she spun around and saw her leader/partner approaching, looking somewhat exhausted. Noticing this made her own muscles begin to ache. She had missed a lot of sleep that night after all and it was beginning to catch up with her.

As it always did.

Kneeling down by her two friends, Ruby sighed with relief. Blake smiled, "Ruby. Glad to see you're okay."

_There! You see, brain? She cares about us all equally!_

But then, Blake looked back at her again, the amber eyes glistening softly, along with… something she couldn't quite identify.

Whatever it was, Weiss only hoped it wasn't making her blush _too_ hard.

With nearly impeccable timing, Yang climbed up through a nearby hatch and saw her team. The heiress, however, noticed that her lilac eyes looked uncharacteristically distant.

Her younger sister seemed to see this coldness as well, running up to the brawler and shaking her arm, her voice laced with concern. "Yang, are you… what happened?"

Despite having noticed them only seconds before, Yang jolted at the contact, her eyes drawn down to the silver ones below. "Huh? Yeah, uh, I'm fine. Sorry."

Realizing everyone was looking at her, the blonde stumbled over her next sentence. "So, uh, w-where's Oobleck? And Zwei?"

As Ruby opened her mouth to explain, a loud blast and what sounded like excited howling from the corgi echoed through the air.

_Well, that answers that._

Even as her brain was trying to catch up on what was happening, Weiss looked forward and let out a gasp.

Their train was headed straight towards a dead end. They had only seconds before the collision.

Without hesitation and running purely on adrenaline, she grabbed onto her teammates, one arm wrapping around Blake's shoulder and the other grabbing Yang's jacket. She pulled them all close together, the blonde thankfully dragging Ruby in with her despite not knowing what was going on. Less than a second later, Myrtenaster was out and the last of her ice dust was encasing them in a large crystal shard, all before the others could even sputter in surprise.

The next few seconds was filled with deafening roars, the crutching of metal and the feeling of Blake and Yang's bodies pressing against her.

And then…

…sirens.

Loud, wailing sirens.


	17. Breach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**I'm not dead, I swear.**

**Sorry about any scare I may have made by missing my weekly upload mark; I promise I'll make up for it. My old computer went whack and it took me a while to recover my notes for this fic, ones that I wanted for specific details across the remainder of the story that I could have easily forgotten over the course of several weeks.**

**Freezerburn Week starts on the 13** **th** **, adding onto my ever-growing pile of stuff to do. I'm sad that I started after Monochrome Week had already finished back in February but that just means I'll need to make up for it next year. Or this year if we have a second week, though nothing suggests we will get another one so I guess I'll just have to deal with it.**

**Volume 2, Chapter 12, 'Breach'**

* * *

The sound of Crescent Rose unraveling scratched at the tension in the air. The four girls were surrounded by more Beowolves than they could remember seeing back in Mountain Glenn.

Clenching her teeth and hardening her grip on Myrtenaster, Weiss propelled herself forwards. Thrusting out, she took down the lead wolf whilst Ruby aired over her, cutting down several more. The heiress shot to the right, swinging in a wide arc and catching several more opponents, knocking them to the ground as they disintegrated with pained howls. Yang bolted past and sent another alpha flying with a kick to the chest whilst Blake disappeared into a small cluster of the creatures with the sound of metal slicing through the dark forms.

Summoning a glyph below her, Weiss launched herself into the air, out of the grasp of a charging Ursa, landing midair on another rune that shot her back down, embedding the tip of her sword into the creature's back.

Someone landed behind her. The snow-haired girl didn't know who it was and honestly didn't care right now, too busy slicing her way through the endless sea of Grimm.

That is, until they let out a yell. One she didn't recognize as one of her teammates.

Weiss spared a glance at the newcomer and was shocked to find Pyrrha throwing a Beowulf over her head with her shield, bisecting the creature with her xiphos as it fell to the ground. Green eyes met her gaze and the ace gave off a warm, confident smile.

The heiress didn't let the surprise sink in for too long. She summoned another glyph to guard them from the claws of an approaching Deathstalker as her newfound companion transformed Miló into its rifle form and shot the heads off several more charging wolves before directing her attention back to the larger opponent.

Weiss rolled her eyes and smiled as she heard Ruby and Nora cheering off in the distance, the sound of her partner's scythe firing off a volley quickly followed by a series of explosions that were almost certainly grenades.

Over the heat of battle, she picked out Jaune's shouts, relaying tactical instructions to the teams as Ren charged down a King Taijitu, firing off his guns at the white head while Yang was busying wailing on the black one with her gauntlets.

The blonde boy knocked over another wolf with Crocea Mors, stabbing its sword into the creature's neck as it gave out a roar of pain. An Ursa struck out towards him but he managed to catch the blow with his shield as Blake sliced into its back with Gambol Shroud. As the creature turned towards her, she jumped up, ribbon still attached to her katana as she landed on Jaune's shield. There was a clang against the metal as she pushed off, flipping back over and landing on the shoulders of another wolf, slicing off its head with her weapon's sheath. Digging her heels into the ground, she pulled the great beast forwards as Jaune sliced into its body several times before it fell over and vanished into the air.

The leader gave his friend a thankful smile before shouting off another order to her, pointing towards his partner and Weiss. Blake acknowledged his command with a nod as she grabbed her katana and sprinted off towards the Deathstalker that Pyrrha was dodging. The heiress struck forward again and slashed at its clawing arm before catching the sight of her teammate jumping towards the giant scorpion's tail.

Thinking quick, she shot off a glyph in midair for the brunette to land on, allowing her to wrap her kusarigama around its stinger as she spun through the air, the pistol firing off into its head as she pulled the trigger with her ribbon. The creature roared out and Pyrrha took the opportunity to charge in, slicing at its mouth and causing the monster to reel back.

Focusing, Weiss began to channel her aura through Myrtenaster before striking the rapier into the group. She could feel the glyph building behind her. But then a Beowulf suddenly charged her, forcing her to abandon the summoning and block its blow, before Blake landed on the creature, splitting it apart down the center.

It hadn't worked, but the results were still somewhat encouraging; she COULD summon.

_Ugh, focus Weiss!_

As she searched for a new target, a huge crash from behind had her spinning around, ready to chastise Nora for her carelessness before realizing it was yet another student. The green-haired boy wielded an enormous sword, lugging it over his shoulder as he turned towards her. Judging by his bared stomach, the heiress wagered a guess that he was from Sun's team, supported by the hollering laughter of the monkey Faunus in the distance as he knocked over several more creatures of Grimm with his staff.

Neptune and another kid with red hair ran between Yang and Ren as the two pulled away from their two-headed opponent. With his trident powering up, the Casanova struck the side of the snake's head, electricity arching down its body as it roared. His teammate tore his cutlass into the white one's eye, causing the creature to bellow out and thrash around violently, sending the unfortunate boy flying through the sky.

Ren volted over Jaune, running to catch his falling ally as the leader ran up to Neptune, who had backed up to give Yang room to blast at the serpent with Ember Celica. Grabbing the blue-haired boy's shoulder to catch his attention, he pointed at his redheaded teammate (who was blasting grenades into a large group of Beowolves).

"Neptune, go electrocute Nora."

Naturally, he got a look of utter confusion for this, the blue gaze mixing in some considerable concern for his friend's mental state. The blonde rolled his own blue eyes.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy but it has to do with her semblance and honestly, it's taking long enough to explain this so please just do it!"

Flashing another glance at the girl, Neptune nodded and sprinted off. Jaune turned to Sun, knocking his way through another wave of Boarbatusks, and yelled for him to go help out Nora as well. To this, he received a salute as the Faunus refolded his gun-chucks back into their staff form.

Nora was standing on top of a large fountain, surrounded by a group of Ursa and taunting them from just out of their grasp as Weiss used some of her fire dust to distract the creatures below. Neptune arrived at the edge of the structure and threw his guandao like a javelin up at the girl. When she saw the weapon flying at her, she grinned maniacally and caught the blade with her outstretch hand, lightning immediately coursing through her body.

Unfolding Magnhild into its war-hammer form, the tiny terror jumped into the air, stepping off Sun's clones as the boy launched them up into the air. Building up momentum, the small redhead brought her hammer to the ground. The impact sent off a shockwave that sent Grimm flying in every direction, even launching the two blonde leaders back with twin cries of shock.

A Nevermore let out a cry of fury as its wing was sliced by Blake, the cat Faunus jumping off its back and swinging up with her ribbon from the ground, pulling on the useless limb. Pyrrha helped throw Ruby into the air with her shield, the cloaked leader using the recoil of her gun to launch herself at the screaming creature, slicing through it with several strokes of her scythe.

Below, Yang took a second to kneel onto the ground, trying to catch her breath as Neptune and Ren fired at another group of charging Beowolves.

"Dust!" The black-haired boy cried out. "Is there no end to them?"

Just as he spotted a rolling Boarbatusk and braced his aura, several swords flew through the sky and took out the rest of the charging group. Yang and the two boys looked in the direction of their savior to see none other than Penny. The quirky girl gave off a small wave and a happy smile. "Hey guys! Need some help?"

None of the three had the chance to reply as the redhead jumped forward, dancing elegantly as her swords sliced apart Grimm by Grimm.

"PENNY!"

The girl turned towards her name and saw Ruby shooting towards her, leaving a trail of petals behind her.

Penny extended out her arms, only for her swords to fly past both of them and strike a Deathstalker that was chasing her friend. Similarly, Ruby flew over her friend and struck at an Ursa behind the android, causing the large creature to stumble back at the impact. She impacted the ground below, silver eyes sparkling with an unnatural glow and ducking as Penny brought her swords back around to cleave the Ursa in two.

As Scarlet and Sage drew back their weapons, facing another group of Beowulves, a shrill siren above their heads caught everyone's attention. Atlesian ships began pouring out large armies of robots into the street.

Ruby looked over at her red-headed companion. "Aren't those the androids we saw on display?"

Penny beamed back at her. "Oh, yes! Mr. Ironwood said that he was very proud of the models." Her eyes sparkled as she looked over the marching groups. "He said that they could be the turning point in defending the kingdoms from Grimm!"

Smiling back, the cloaked girl suddenly shuddered as she heard a loud growl from behind. Rather than another Grimm, she instantly recognized Professor Goodwitch's voice, and every student moved as far away from her as possible as she brought up her riding crop and proceeded to seal the breach with an incredible display of her semblance.

* * *

Team RWBY sat at the edge of the cliff at Beacon Docks, staring off into the sunset.

Well, three of them were staring off, at least.

Blake had come to find Weiss's shoulder to be the most comfortable place to sleep over the past few days, especially because the other girl never moved when she laid on it, something she greatly appreciated. The stiffness she felt in the smaller girl's body mattered little to her exhausted mind, plagued by recent sleep problems; either way, it was understandable. It wasn't as though every single issue between them would disappear over the course of a few weeks.

Not to say she didn't trust her, of course. Weiss had the right to feel awkward. After all, she certainly did sometimes, though she could never figure out why.

_It's probably just Yang's teasing._

… _right?_

Just about keeping herself from drifting off into slumber, Blake thought back to their mission, her brows furrowing. There were still so many unanswered questions. What was the White Fang planning to do by leading Grimm to the city? What had been Torchwick's final goal? Why were the two groups even working together in the first place?

_Was Adam involved?_

She dismissed the thoughts quickly. The Grimm invasion had been stopped and Torchwick was in jail. Whatever the Fang's plan was, they'd thrown a wrench in it.

_We've done all we can for now._

She knew she'd never be able to fully escape their influence on her life, but still, she had allies to fight alongside her when the time came.

Her mind focused on the rising and falling of the heiress's shoulder. A smile slipped onto her lips as her own breathing slowed.

Weiss kept herself from shaking as her crush settled further onto her, raven locks falling across her chest. She could feel the silky ribbons in their hair intertwining as Blake's face brushed the base of her ponytail.

As her pulse skyrocketed, blue eyes squeezing shut, the heiress finally accepted that her feelings for the Faunus girl weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

_I… guess I have to admit that it's… certainly possible that I'm in love with her._

Her mind was going at a million miles per hour. There was still so much wrong with it: her father, Blake's past (which she still knew so little about), her own inexperience with romance.

_W-what do I even do? Just… hang out with her until she falls for me? Would she even like me back? I mean… yes, she clearly LIKES me, she cares about me at least, but… It's just not… like-like. Or…_

She let out a quiet groan as the tempest swept through her thoughts, an act met with protest by Blake's wriggling reminding her that, YES, the other girl was close to her, in both the figurative and literal sense.

_I just… look, Weiss. You are Weiss SCHNEE. Yes, maybe that does put a damper on the idea of getting into a relationship with a Faunus, but it ALSO means that you have a legacy behind you, something strong to stand on. Grandpa Nicholas always led his expeditions, even into dangerous Grimm-infested regions. Because he was brave._

_But I don't have to be brave. I just have to be courageous. To hold down my fear and awkwardness and embarrassment, for the sake of-_

At that moment, Blake nestled further into her body, letting out a content sigh. Weiss gritted her teeth as blood rushed to her cheeks.

_EASIER SAID THAN DONE!_

Yet, after a few seconds, the tension disappeared. Her mind forced itself into a position of complete relaxation, willing itself not to panic over this.

_Maybe this isn't the healthiest way of handling this, but it's the only way without blurting out my feelings like a fool. I can't put her on the spot like that. I… want a relationship where we can be equals, where we can make each other happy without…_

She sighed again. In truth, she didn't know if she was doing any of this correctly. At all. But if it meant not embarrassing herself, she would be strong.

A bump on her other shoulder drew her back to reality, her face turning to meet Yang's own. Lilac orbs sparkled with mischief.

As the blonde opened her mouth to say something, the heiress shot back a glare that managed to freeze veins that normally burned in the heat of battle. The brawler wisely reworded herself, especially as she broke the gaze to glance at the massive drop the smaller girl would have no problem sending her down with a simple glyph.

"S-say, what do you guys think about going back into Vale tonight? You know, to get some… _accessories_? I mean, I'm sure at least _some_ of the stores are still open despite the incident today."

Azure eyes blinked, her cold fury fading quickly at the innocent request. Weiss thought back to their conversation last night, about their ribbons and expanding the idea to the rest of the team. Part of her mind bemoaned the loss of uniqueness of the bond between herself and the brunette that the ribbons represented, but the rest of her brain chastised it.

_Blake is important to me, but so is the rest of my team._

Still, in addition to her exhaustion, combined from the short night and the intense fight earlier, she felt _disgusting._ Only one day without personal hygiene and she could already feel the dried sweat on her limbs with every movement, testing her nerves.

"Honestly, that does sound nice, but I'd like to go take a shower first."

Her partner nodded while amber eyes fluttered open.

Her expression plastered with confusion, Yang brought up her arm and took an experimental whiff of her armpit. Her face screwed up before she muttered in agreement.

* * *

**I was going to do the CFVY fight and the Oobleck/Port attack, but then I realized I didn't really know how to change them to make them better. Oh well.**

**Whew! Volume 2 done and about halfway to the end (there should end up being around 30 chapters if all goes according to plan)! Now I just need to find a way to make up for missed deadlines.**

**Oh, wait, I've already finished all three inter-volume chapters :P**

**Let me just edit them up to snub and I'll post them in a while. Just don't expect anything else from this fanfic before the 21** **st** **or so; you know, Freezerburn Week. I can only write so much at once, after all, on top of real life stuff.**


	18. Tied Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**This chapter is not actually based on an episode, but rather is supposed to be between Volume 2 and Volume 3. Non-canon Episode 4: Tied Together**

* * *

The sound of the shower pounded on Blake's ears, even under her bow. As Ruby and Yang searched through their drawers, Blake sat on her bed, face hidden behind her novel and paralyzed by the absurd reasons her mind had just laid out for her on why exactly she was focusing on the noise.

The one that had froze her seemed to involve the faint, almost inaudible sound within the running water that her mind chose to believe was Weiss's singing voice.

' _Mirror, mirror, tell me something…_ '

The only reason Blake wasn't smacking her face with her book to chase away the thoughts was because it would attract attention from her partner and her leader. If there was no one else in the room right now, she would be screaming curses at her brain for what it was trying to convince her.

_It's probably Yang's fault! She's the one who said that stuff the other day and it WAS later that night that this sort of thing happened!_

The squeaking of the shower knob as the sound of falling water dissipated was far shriller than she had been expecting (probably because she was focusing on the sound so much in the first place). Blake tensed up as wet padding assaulted her feline ears. She did her best to bury herself as far into the pages of her book as possible as her snow-haired teammate left the bathroom in nothing but a towel.

Yang, having found a brush and sitting backwards on a chair while trying to tame her drying mane of gold, got a head-start on teasing her teammate. "Try not to take too long, Princess. I think we'd like to go out at some point TONIGHT."

"Oh, ha ha." Weiss replied with no audible tone, refusing to give the brawler the satisfaction of earning her frustration. "I'll be ready in a minute or two. Just let me get my clothes." She pulled the towel up to ring out her hair, exposing herself to room (the team having lost any need for modesty towards each other months ago) before searched through her drawer for underwear.

Blake had always thought that blushing was just an exaggerated term used in her stories because she couldn't remember ever seeing someone's cheeks turn red with embarrassment; yet, the warmth crawling up her neck, making its way to her face, seemed to tell otherwise. She clenched her teeth so hard, she was scared they'd shattered.

_THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS HAPPENING!_

_Sure, it's not like Weiss ISN'T someone I care about, but this sort of thing is… I've been so close to her recently and this hasn't… well, it HAS, but… only an hour ago, I was lying on her-_

The memory of their close proximity flashed through her mind at the same time as the night of the dance. Whatever happened next, she could only feel her book slip out of her fingers, falling to the mattress.

Her heart stopped when this new view showed that Ruby and Yang were staring at her, her leader looking down from her raised bunk. Weiss, however, appeared to be concentrating on NOT looking at her.

At all.

For some reason.

This was in spite of the heiress having finally put on most of her clothes, a fact which Blake greatly appreciated for her own sanity.

Still, whatever the reason for her teammate's distraction was, Blake was incredibly thankful it existed, even if she didn't know what 'it' was. Because there was no way she could've kept herself together if the heiress had seen her face.

She somehow forced out a smile and looked over at her partner. "What's wrong, Yang?"

The blonde girl raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed by the attempt at deception. "Pretty sure that's _my_ line, Blakey. Are you feeling alright?" She tilted her head, the look in her eyes betraying her concern far more than her calm voice. "If not, we can just head out without you and bring you back something. Just tell us what you need."

"No, that's not it, I'm-"

"Hey, Weiss? Do you know what's wrong with Blake?" Ruby suddenly spoke up.

Blake's words caught in her mouth. She instinctively turned towards her teammate to receive the answer, only to slam a fist to her mouth to stop whatever noise almost came out as she saw the heiress adjusting her pants around her backside. The Faunus girl was shocked that the dress-loving heiress was even wearing pants, casually or not, and was flustered by how form-fitting they-

_DUST, BRAIN, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!_

Weiss, for her part, did an excellent job steeling her mind for a subject about the target of her affections. Granted, it involved Blake's health, so it concerned her more than it shook her.

"Maybe she's having trouble sleeping again? You seemed pretty exhausted before, at the… at the cliffs." Despite stumbling over her words, the heiress kept her tone otherwise unreadable.

Naturally, the mention of her actions caused Blake's skin to pulse red, thought she also tried to keep from tripping up her words. "Uh, yeah. Probably. I have been feeling kind of… tired lately. BUT-" she got up quickly, drawing all eyes back to her as embarrassment came crashing back down. "I-I mean, its fine. I can go. Actually, I'll head out right now and see when the next airship is leaving. Don't wait up."

She walked out the dorm's door rather quickly and slammed it a little more forcefully than her teammates were expecting. Lilac and silver then turned to blue.

"W-what?" Weiss asked in annoyance at the change of attention as she flicked water out of her hair with her brush.

Yang put her hands behind her head. "Nothing. It's just…" She went over to her desk and picked up a long black ribbon. "She forgot her bow."

After a second, the words clicked in the heiress's mind. She bolted up to the blonde and snatched the ribbon out of her hand, bursting through the door. "BLAKE! BLAKE, WAIT! YOU FORGOT SOMETHING IMPORTANT!"

As the slammed shut, Ruby looked over at her elder sister. "Blake didn't forget her bow, though."

Yang flashed her a smile. "I know. I just wanted her to leave so I could say 'I told you so'."

Her leader threw out her finger. "No teasing them, alright? No crazy romantic schemes either."

The brawler heaved out a loud groan. "You guys are _so_ _boring!_ " She folded her arms across her chest. _  
_

" _Fine_. But only if they don't make any progress before the Vytal Festival is over. _Then,_ I'm not holding back."

* * *

The large tailoring store they decided on had a large 'WE SERVE ALL RACES HERE' sign on the outside. Normally, Blake's mind would be frustrated by the fact that they'd even require a message like that in the first place, but she was a bit too distracted at the moment to notice.

For one, she kept actively trying to avoid looking at her snow-haired teammate as the heiress chastised Yang for the cheapness of the cloth the blonde was trying to buy.

The duo had taken their showers last, which meant that their hair was still somewhat wet and the sparkling had managed to turn a number of heads on their way to the city.

Yeah. That had to be the reason why she was staring at Weiss so much.

_Right?_

_Ugh… How many times have I said_ _that_ _to myself lately?_

As the heiress insisted on paying for better bandanas, Blake felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to come face to face with her leader.

The younger girl had three small roses arranged on the upper chest of her outfit. The white, black and yellow flowers worked well with Ruby's theme and she was brimming with pride.

"Hey, Blake. You sure you're okay?" The cloaked girl asked, her silver eyes consoling yet strangely relaxed in spite of her words. "You've been acting weird since we got back to the room before. _AND_ you're spacing out a lot. You aren't sick or something, are you?"

The girl in question bit her lip. "Its fine, Ruby, I just… well, I'm not completely sure, honestly, but it'll definitely pass."

Her leader's eyebrow arched, but she didn't press any further. Though she hid a grin when Blake looked back at their teammates.

Ruby wondered to herself how long it would take for her partner to notice Blake's small new ponytail being held up by the white ribbon.

Blake felt a knot in her gut. Lying to her younger friend did a number on her conscience but she couldn't simply tell the other girl 'I might have a crush on Weiss.' She could barely put it into words herself!

_Seriously, is this even a crush? If even Ruby noticed me staring…_

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she caught sight of two black dots, each accented by azure. If _she_ wasn't staring, _Weiss_ certainly was. As soon as their eyes met, however, the heiress's went wide and she turned away, a move that froze the brunette where should stood as though she was being watched by a King Taijitu.

After a few seconds, the smaller girl approached her, her hips swaying elegantly despite the odd look on her face. Blake found herself too preoccupied in trying to figure out what had just happened (and why she was suddenly focusing on her teammate's hips) to notice the pinch on Weiss's lip as the heiress bit it nervously.

"H-hey, Blake. So, uh, did you find the color of ribbons you needed?"

The taller girl shook her head, both in a vague attempt to answer the question and to try and clear her head of whatever obscene thoughts had surfaced. What the heck was wrong with her? Her gaze strayed to the heiress's ponytail, her amber eyes lingering on the black ribbon that had been tied back into the bound hair (its previous spot replaced by the metal hair-tie once more) before tracing along the two additional ribbons in it. The clash of ebony, scarlet and gold brought an incredible new contrast to the platinum in a slightly different way than the black and white from before.

It was strange yet captivating all at the same time. This made it all the more confusing when she spotted her partner down the aisle, wrapping three bandanas of red, white and black around her right arm, each with an old Valean stitching design. Yet, this view was incapable of invoking the same amount of wonder that Weiss's own ribbons did.

She looked back down at the heiress, startled by the sparkle that she found in the blue pools, waiting for her to… something? Her lips were moving…

_Dust, she just asked me a question, didn't she?!_

Blake smacked her mind back into action. "Oh, right! Yeah, no, I was… just looking for a red ribbon! Do you know where I can that… beautiful…" She could feel herself getting distracted again by the ponytail, which Weiss was now playing with.

_WHAT AM I SAYING?!_

"-I MEAN, where did you… find yours?"

Weiss smiled, her fingers dancing through her hair and pulling at the ends of the fabric in a way that made the skin on the back of Blake's neck tingle. It was an odd feeling and her heart hammered away as the smaller girl let out an adorable chuckle and looked away shyly.

"Well, I don't know if I can describe the fabric as _beautiful_ , but it's supposedly high quality. You certainly have a unique taste, Blake." After a second, her mind seemed to catch up with her mouth, a deep crimson rushing across her face. "NOT THAT- that's not what I- I mean, here, let me show you where…"

She went to grab the Faunus's hand, but Blake's own was already reaching out and their nails scratched against each other's skin, sending a shock bolting down both their spines and making them both stumble back.

As Weiss tried to right herself, she felt her eyes crawl up her crush's form, ending up focusing on the black ribbon on top of her friend's head for a few seconds longer than she should have.

"Hey, guys!"

Two screams rang through the store; thankfully, there were few other customers in the shop and those that did look up at the noise didn't seem interested in the source of the sudden cries.

Blake spun around and nearly fell onto her white-haired teammate, who herself nearly tumbled to the ground yet managed to brace her legs while steadying the brunette with a hand on her shoulder.

"P-Penny! What are _you_ doing here?!" Weiss cried out, failing to suppress her blush as she let go. Her nervousness evaporated as her temper flared at the scare, her mask of ice back on in full force.

The redhead seemed oblivious to any wrongdoings and answered the question in a matter-of-fact manner. "I was gathering tools from a hardware store by the corner when I saw you four enter this shop. May I also partake in the social activity of clothing shopping that many of my peers routinely participate in?"

The heiress couldn't bring herself to follow. Penny's form of speech was weird and made Weiss wonder if the other Atlesian girl came from one of the more traditional sections of Mantle. Ruby had talked before about the redhead's admittedly strange past but the way she talked just seemed… off.

Almost robotic.

Blake spoke up, drawing back Weiss's deviating thoughts. "We're not here for fun, Penny. Trust me, there are far better ways for us to be spending our time than on a 'shopping spree'." The brunette said with a roll of her eyes.

Her teammate scoffed, her ideas of relaxing with companions of a similar vein. "Indeed, we're here to get hair ribbons for our team. It's supposed to strengthen all our bonds, according to Ruby, though it did work pretty well for me and Blake over the past few weeks."

She gestured to the black ribbon in her ponytail, moving it to give Penny a better view and simultaneously hiding the small quirk of her lips as she said 'bonds'. Blake, her thoughts in a much different manner, found itself turning over the words with disturbingly heavy observation, trying to keep the analysis strictly platonic and blushing madly as she failed.

Penny looked between the two, her green eyes scanning over the cloth in her friends' hair.

"Oh, I see, Weiss!" The redhead put her hands together, stringing her fingers between each other. "Is that why you seem so interested in Blake's Faunus ears under her ribbon?"

The words seemed to come out almost automatically. Honestly, the way Penny had been looking at them, she probably should've expected something like that in the first place.

Even so, Weiss's blood froze in her veins. She could _hear_ Blake stop breathing. In that moment, the heiress's mind managed to short-circuit.

She knew that the other girl was just being honest. She KNEW that. It wasn't like she was doing it out of insolence like Cardin or teasingly like Yang.

That didn't stop her from regretting ever meeting the quirky girl as she buried her hands in her face.

* * *

**I put in an Easter egg for you guys to find in this one. Let's just say you're gonna have to go out on a limb to try and figure it out.**

**And no, it's not Blake's white ribbon in the back of her hair. That is, however, based on one of WCG's drawings. If you need reference for the rest of her ribbons' positions, the yellow ribbon has moved to the white ribbon's previous location while the red one will be on the opposite side of her face. Weiss's ribbons are also arranged in her ponytail in a similar manner to another of Cold's drawings.**

**(Please visit WeissColdGlare on Tumblr if you like Weiss ships; her pictures are awesome and her shenanigans are hilarious!)**

**And don't worry, Weiss doesn't actually hate Penny. Nobody hates Penny. Penny is such a wonderful character, isn't she?**

***smiles evilly***

**When. It. Faaaaaaalls!**

**It's not time to suffer yet, thought. I've got two more inter-volume episodes before Volume 3 starts.**

**Also, if you thought this chapter was getting 'risqué', believe me; we're not done yet.**


	19. Thoughts and Acts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**You know how I was worried about how my love of Freezerburn would bleed into this fic? No? Did I not mention that somewhere? Oh well. Anyway, be warned of cuddling and other bouts of Weiss being a useless lesbian.**

**This chapter is not actually based on an episode, but rather is supposed to be between Volume 2 and Volume 3. Non-canon Episode 5: Thoughts and Acts**

* * *

Thankfully, this time, Weiss's panic had nothing to do with the taboo of rubbing Faunus ears or not knowing how to properly take care of someone having a breakdown.

No, this time she was panicking because BLAKE WAS LAYING IN HER LAP.

Honestly, she didn't know how the Faunus was capable of being within a 2-mile radius of her after what Penny said the other day. It could have a bit to do with the completely screwed up sleep schedule assaulting the brunette's mind, even if she didn't truly know what caused it this time.

Her brain dearly hoped that hadn't been the direct result of the 'Penny incident', as she was now dubbing it. Seriously, did that redhead have ANY tact?! Or respect for privacy?!

_Well, it's still my fault anyway that she found out._

The only bright side of that situation was that she might be able to check off 'thinking Blake's Faunus ears are cute' as 'not offensive'. The cat Faunus WOULD have told her if that was wrong.

_Right?_

_Ugh, how many times have I asked THAT question before?_

Actually, not having that confirmation still brought deeply stomach-turning anxiety.

After all, now Blake KNEW about her… 'interest' in the appendages.

Still, the brunette would've had to have been _incredibly tired_ to do THIS, considered how much they'd been avoiding each other's gaze for the past three days. The fact that she'd walked into the dorm room and just laid down on HER bed, ON HER LAP, meant there was almost certainly no consciousness in the girl snoozing below her.

And that's when Weiss's brain had an incredibly wicked idea.

It was terrible, utterly crazy that she'd even considered it.

It was also what was causing her fingers to slowly untwine the black bow on top of Blake's head.

_This is incredibly dangerous! What if someone walked in?_

_Who's going to walk in? Ruby and Yang are off training with Nora and Pyrrha right now and anyone who doesn't know Blake's secret has no reason to come in here._

_It's still a complete breach of trust!_

THAT caused the heiress's fingers to stop. She looked down at the sleeping figure below her, only the brunette's chest rising and falling as she breathed slowly.

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut. This was stupid. This was crazy. Why was she putting herself in this position in the first place?

… _but if I don't do this now… I may never have the chance to…_

Her heart still stung with regret as she moved her hands away from the edges of the ribbon and started to push the fabric apart, her heart skipping a beat as light flooded into the opening and one of the velvety appendages came into view. She dared not touch the bow any further for fear of accidently knocking it off.

_This will be enough._

_You can't do this! Not without her permission!_

_I KNOW THAT! I know that, but…_

She craned her neck down, careful not to move her knees too much and stir Blake. Time slowed to a crawl as her lips met the feline ear, pushing the thin layer of skin down onto the girl's head with featherlight pressure.

Weiss forced herself to not react when she heard a sigh come from the Faunus. She cracked open an eye and saw the fabric of the bow shifting ever so lightly, hearing a light rustling sound that she determined to be the other ear flapping wildly.

 _In happiness_ , she could only hope.

She drew herself back, the moment disappearing quickly as the world seemed to right itself from the complete mess it felt like it had just been from allowing such an action to go uncontested.

Weiss felt sick.

She also felt like she was soaring through the sky.

The action almost felt like a release, and slowly her body calmed down once more. Her legs shifted out from under Blake's head, her hands setting the brunette on her mattress and fixing the bow back into place. She made no move to wake the girl or transfer her over to the correct bed.

If Blake wanted to wake up and freak out about falling asleep on her teammate's bed, so be it.

Weiss had already suffered enough embarrassment for one day.

* * *

Evidently, it seemed Weiss HADN'T had her full serving of daily abashment quite yet.

No, not being able to tear her eyes away from Blake's sleep form, forced into bed by a concerned partner and a worried leader, was probably, HOPEFULLY going to be her final karmic punishment of the day.

That night, Blake had decided to take off her bow for the first time, apparently feeling comfortable enough to show them in the dorm now, though she'd turned her head from Weiss when she'd said that.

The tinting of red on her cheeks as she'd looked away had set the heiress's heart on fire.

Yet she wasn't only staring at the feline ears this time.

The curvy body in her view was hugged tightly by a black yukata, yet it was still somehow loose enough to give the heiress a full view of her teammate's cleavage.

To be honest, Weiss wasn't complaining at the entrancing sight.

…MUCH.

Of course, of all nights Ruby chose to stay up later than usual and study, this had to be one of them. The light from the lamp at their desk highlighted the Faunus girl's sleeping form, burning the image into the heiress's eyes even as she tried desperately to tear her gaze away and go to sleep.

Her brain quickly worked the beautiful image into her earlier experiences that day. Suddenly, all the effort she'd taken in sating whatever attraction she'd felt was overtaken by a want, a _desire_ , for more. Regardless of whether this attraction was some stupid fetish associated with feline ears or true romantic feelings as she'd been willing to accept before, her lonely body ached considerably.

_This HAS to be hormones. If not completely, then at least somewhat._

Denial or not, sitting there and doing nothing wasn't going to solve anything. Eventually, Ruby finished her work and switched off the lights before jumping onto the swinging deathtrap above Weiss's head. A few minutes after her partner's breathing sounded like slumber, she slowly drew herself up and walked to the other set of bunks.

But rather than focus on the source of her affections below, her eyes drew upwards at the blonde mess of hair above.

The heiress lightly poked the mass of golden locks. The large girl moved around and turned over, her lilac eyes cracking open lazily.

"Mmm. What's up, Weiss?"

The snow-haired girl bit her lip. There was still plenty of time to turn back. Yet, there was one thing she could remember, from weeks ago, that Yang had suggested to her. Something she'd beaten the brawler over the head with a pillow for daring to propose at the time. And while it pained her to consider giving the blonde any more ammunition for this situation, she somehow managed to swallowed her pride and beat down her mortification as she promised she would, stringing her fingers through her long hair nervously.

"Um, Yang. You know how you mentioned something about 'cuddle buddies' that one time?"

The words processed through the blonde's sleepy mind for a few seconds. Slowly, the sleepiness dissipated. And was replaced by what Weiss could only describe as the literal definition of elation.

…

Blake couldn't believe her ears. Weiss? Cuddling with YANG? OUR Weiss? The one we've know for half a year at this point?

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her chest.

She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it brought chills to her spine when she realized the feeling that followed matched the common description she seen written in many of her romance novels.

_Jealousy._

She bit down on her sheet.

_No, it can't be that. What would I be jealous about? We might be close, but we're not THAT close. It's not like Weiss and I are dating. N-not that we would be, anyway! If she wants to cuddle with Yang, what does that have to do with me?_

"Say, does this have something to do with Blake?"

Amber eyes flew open.

Weiss didn't respond to the question immediately, which gave the Faunus girl time to settle her heart rate down. After a few seconds of silences, the heiress continued on, oblivious to the Faunus unintentionally listening below.

"…I guess so. I just… want to know what it felt like, but… I guess she _is_ the cause of it."

Blake's ears flattened against her skull. _I shouldn't be hearing this._

"Was it what made you tie the white ribbon in her hair?"

"THAT'S-!"

The brunette held her breath (and heard the two girls above her do the same) as Ruby shifted in her sheets from her bed, grumbling something not even her feline ears could pick up, though seemingly more related to her internal dreams than the noise Weiss had made. As soon as their leader stopped moving around, the hushed words above continued.

"…that's not… that's not how it was. Alright? Back then, I guess I just… Well, I guess it hasn't actually changed that much since then, has it?"

"Hmmm?"

…

"…I just want to remind her, she has people who care…"

Both girls went completely silent.

Blake had barely known Weiss for six months and yet the Faunus couldn't remember ever hearing something like that from Adam during their time together.

"You two are really sweet, you know that?"

"Hey, I asked you to cuddle, not to talk about my personal relationships… but, thanks. I think you're pretty swell as well."

"Heh, guess we'll have to change that 'Ice Queen' nickname pretty soon, huh?"

And with that, the talk above ended.

Blake wasn't sure what she'd just heard. She didn't think she was supposed to hear it, anyway, but she'd heard it all the same.

Maybe it would've been better if she hadn't. Maybe… she should just pretend she hadn't.

_Yeah, that's probably for the best._

Yet as she returned to her own thoughts, she felt stress boiling inside of her. Their exchange with Penny that she'd tried to suppress surfaced once again, her body wincing as confusion took hold.

And something else. Some strange feeling, one she remembered experiencing for the first time only a few nights ago.

…

It took all of her remaining energy to keep from sniffling.

* * *

To be fair, this was going far better than Weiss had predicted it would.

Sure, her friend's enormous bosom was a constant pressure on her back, but thankfully it didn't bring the same flusterment that staring down Blake's pajamas had. It was certainly making her blush hard, but it wasn't _mortifying._

The bigger problem was the slight movements that the larger girl cupped around her was making that kept reminding her desperate-to-sleep-mind that, yes, _Yang was still cuddling her_.

Sure, it hadn't been a major issue when she was collecting her thoughts on the situation and deciding that it _was_ affection from Blake, and not just _anyone_ , that she was craving. But now her mind was complaining about not being able to fall asleep.

She didn't blame Yang; she hardly could think badly of the brawler after agreeing to this situation with only a light-hearted tease and some innocent questioning.

But she HAD to get some sleep. Soon. Or she'd go mad.

Trying to wriggle out of the blonde's grasp, she hiked up her arms, pushing directly against Yang's stomach.

Evidently, that was the WRONG move as the hold around her reinforced with a grumble from the other girl. She held her tongue, afraid any sudden shouts would wake up Ruby.

Or, worse, BLAKE.

So, she tried a different approach. Pulling on the sheets, she tried to placate the grip on her while simultaneously freeing herself from it. Her hand gripped onto the edge of the bed and dared not let go as she tried to pry herself free from what felt like a wrestling move that Yang was using on her.

Suddenly, she felt the pressure relent, her hopes of getting a good night's sleep resurging as she pulled herself free.

And then gravity took over.

…

Blake had heard the sound, but she didn't bother trying to figure out what it was.

Thus, it was certainly a surprise when she felt the full weight of Weiss crash into her and sent her flying off the bed onto the floor.

Of course, this meant she could only look up in complete shock at the blue eyes staring down at her.

She DESPERATELY hoped this was a dream.

_Okay, scratch that, this being a dream would probably be TEN TIMES more problematic._

Weiss could only look down in utter terror at the amber eyes staring up at her.

And scream internally.

Her brain tried, TRIED to endure the embarrassment.

Certainly, it shouldn't have mattered that she could feel Blake's breath at this distance.

It shouldn't have mattered that their bodies were pressing against each other.

It shouldn't have mattered that this was the greatest view of Blake she'd ever gotten with her ears unbound.

And it shouldn't have mattered that it was becoming very clear to her right hand that the Faunus girl didn't wear a bra to bed.

But it did.

It mattered so much that the brunette, the one who'd been bowled over, was the first to get out a word, though her voice shook as her eyes strayed away from the teammate sitting on top of her. "Uh, W-Weiss? Are you gonna… get up or…"

Snapping out of her stunned state, Weiss pushed herself away, desperately focusing on not touching any other place that she _really_ shouldn't be. The heiress's mind fumbled, trying to think of something, ANYTHING to say. "I- I'm sorry. I thi- I think I was ha-having a nightmare and I probably just set up a glyph while I was in bed and it ending up shooting me over and I-"

This was bad. It was really, really bad. Her thoughts were jumbled. She could feel both of their pulses skyrocketing. Worse still, she was _lying_ directly TO Blake's face and THAT was what was tugging at her conscience the most.

And yet, there was NO WAY she was going to tell Blake she'd just been cuddling with Yang. She'd die if anyone ever found out.

Of course, that knowledge did nothing to stop Weiss from blushing harder than she could have ever remembered.

Below, the raven-haired girl squirmed, her own cheeks glowing pink and her ears lying flat against her head as unfamiliar thoughts continued racing through her brain too quickly to fully decipher, the sensation of the skin that had been groped still not yet fading.

She never had any problem seeing in the dark and the moonlight spilling through the curtains created a stunning image of Weiss, even as she tried to keep her amber eyes away from the beautiful sight.

She'd always thought Weiss was beautiful, but she'd never truly thought through that particular fact.

Until now.

Which only made everything else much, MUCH worse.

Above, the brawler shifted and grumbled silently about the loss of her pillow.

* * *

**Someday, I will stop tormenting these two. When I will actually let them think of each other without their brains going haywire. When they can talk to each other without tripping over every other word and their own legs.**

…

… **today is not that day.**


	20. A Nice Game of Chess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**This chapter is not actually based on an episode, but rather is supposed to be between Volume 2 and Volume 3. Non-canon Episode 6: A Nice Game of Chess**

* * *

Across the field, two huntresses stood, both wielding their swords out towards the other. Black and white separate, amber and blue connected without so much as a waiver.

In spite of the emotional distress that had plagued them both for days at this point, their eyes narrowed with concentration as Ruby dropped her hands to her sides and cried out. "GO!"

In a flash, their weapons met. Steel screamed against steel as Myrtenaster broke Gambol Shroud's strike, pushing back seconds later with renewed power.

Their fight quickly became a dance, neither willing to back down. To both of them, this was not a battle against their own thoughts, but rather a challenge that had to be overcome. One that just so happened to be the other.

Time and time again, Myrtenaster would slice through the air and time and time again, it could only catch the trail of a shadow.

Gambol Shroud wasn't doing much better, any slash that might have come close pinging off a small glyph or shard of ice.

And still, they fought on. Command of the battle switched back and forth as openings were sought after and blocked methodically.

Weiss cared deeply for Blake, but that didn't mean she was going to go easy on her. To her, they were equals, which meant surrender would not only be a show of weakness but would be unfair to the brunette as well. It was her duty as someone important in her life AND as huntresses. If she had to do so on the field of battle, so be it.

Blake couldn't think of anything but proving herself to Weiss. She'd spent far too much time recently lost in doubt or in nervous arguments with herself about the two of them. She wanted to face off against her. Not a Schnee, but HER. Even if she couldn't quite name their bond yet, she respected the heiress enough to fight with all of her strength.

Seconds ticked by and yet still neither gave ground.

For a great majority of their lives, the two had been puppeteered by those they thought had truly cared about them, when they were merely a pawn in another's goals. Planning out a strategy to defeat a simply painted enemy.

But all they had to do was look across to the other queen, to see a piece that mirrored them perfectly. To reach out and learn about them without manipulation in mind.

_How dare you say that of her! What does that make me, then?! Do you think you can just get away with this?!_

**Get out of my head! You're wrong, I'm telling you! If even she can think that way, then surely-!**

All it takes to win such a battle is to lay down your weapons together. To end the pointless charade.

_**How do you like that? Checkmate in one move.** _

Yet in this match, there is no checkmate. Instead, there can only be one winner.

It was only a glimpse, but Weiss saw it. A single fire glyph broke open below the Faunus girl, forcing her to side-step the blast, wincing only for a moment.

But that moment was more than enough.

Weiss was already upon her, a hand gripping her right shoulder and pulling the larger girl's weight back as she jumped off a glyph behind her opponent, swinging around and using the brunette's body as a pivot. As Blake failed to counter the sudden shift in her balance, the heiress's hand switched to the other shoulder and assisted gravity in forcing her to the ground, Gambol Shroud clambering down next to them.

The grip holding down on her wrists was pitifully weak considering the snow-haired girl's light weight, but Blake was simply too shocked to push back.

For her part, even as she gripped Myrtenaster and pointed the blade down at her opponent, Weiss's battle frenzy passed quickly and suddenly her conscious mind was thrusted back into reality.

…

… _I'm STRADDLING her!_

Even though she should have moved by now, part of her DEMANDED she not be the one to draw back. This was _her_ victory. She had to be courageous and not back down over something stupid like embarrassment.

A second passed.

And then another.

And then another.

And then she mentally smacked the part of her that had suggested something so stupid. _All this is doing is making it WORSE!_

… _I guess falling in love really DOES make you crazy._

Weiss almost pushed herself off of Blake, releasing her opponent's bound wrists. Miraculously, her voice came out in a steady and not in any way panicked manner. "So, uh, I guess that's that, then."

_Oh, she's DEFINITELY thinking back to last night, isn't she?! Dust, that couldn't have been any worse if I had just kissed her!_

For Blake's part, she'd done a rather remarkable job masking her utter mortification at their position, the only outwards sign of surprise being her gaping mouth and the tinting of her cheeks.

Because in her mind, she was shrieking.

_WHY DID SHE- WHA-_

"Whoa, you two, calm down befor- OOF!"

"Great job, Weiss!"

Suddenly, both of them remembered they weren't alone, moving their heads to see their teammates staring at them off in the distance. Yang was holding her stomach and cringing while Ruby was jumping up and down at her partner's victory.

Slowly, the monochromatic duo got up, Weiss graciously offering a hand that Blake could naught but accept. Luckily for the Faunus girl, Weiss was far too focused on tempering her own blush to notice the brunette's own.

Under her breath, the heiress swore. She couldn't keep doing this, for her own sanity. She didn't want to have to worry about her own embarrassment or messing up or looking like a lovesick idiot in front of her crush.

She just wanted to BE with Blake.

Was that too much to ask from her brain?

* * *

**A short chapter, but one with themes I wanted to include. Thought about making it another fic but it just fit so well here. Expect Volume 3 to start at some point in late May.**


	21. Round One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Might not actually make a sequel to this fic due to 'Scars: Part Two' already existing. I haven't read through Donesses' stories yet but I feel like I'd just be repeating it (except with a lighter tone) so I might squish in a few more chapters for after the end of Volume 3 instead. Once again, these plans may change, so who really knows at this point?**

**Volume 3, Chapter 1, 'Round One'**

* * *

"Blake! Yang!"

The brunette turned her head towards her name, watching as a large wall of ice broke forth from the ground. Weiss drew her weapon up, sweat building on her head from overexertion of her semblance.

"NOW!"

That was the signal.

Throwing her gun to her partner, ribbon and all, Blake charged forward, blood pumping and ready to deliver the final blow. She glanced over as the blonde shot off rounds for their recoil and raised the connecting line so the heiress could duck under it. Landing atop Ruby's scythe and sent soaring through the air, she was shot forwards even faster by a propulsion glyph, overtaking the fireball and pulling it around her so that the brawler slammed into their regrouping enemies.

With a trio of shocked cries, their opponents were sent flying.

Skidding to a stop, the Faunus girl arched her back and stretched out her arms, satisfied by the ringing in her ears accompanying the loud cheers of the crowd. It didn't hurt; it just got her blood pumping, though they'd already won.

Looking back at her teammates, she stumbled as petals swirled past her, Ruby engulfing her older sister in a bear hug and laughing happily as she was spun. As she resettled herself, a hand came out and took hers, heat breaking out across her face as she recognized a familiar huff.

"Seriously, that girl is a real child. Can't she be more considerate sometimes?"

Smiling wide, the brunette gave Weiss's hand an appreciative squeeze before nudging her in the shoulder. "Well, I guess you'd know, seeing as she's your BFF."

The heiress groaned. "Oh please. Sure, she's a great partner and all but I'd much prefer to hang out with someone less obnoxious and more calm, like yo-"

Whatever she was about to say, it was cut off as the duo was lifted into the air, Yang laughing loudly. "Yeah! We won, guys!"

As she was shook from side to side, a part of Blake felt like she could agree with Weiss, Yang included in that grouping. The only one of her teammates she'd probably ever want to spend a nice, long, relaxing day off with would be…

She let out an uncharacteristic sigh. _Of course that's on my mind now. For crying out…_

…

… _wait, are we still holding hands?_

Almost on cue, she snapped her hand out of the grip, though for a second, she thought she felt a similar release of pressure from the snow-haired girl as they turned away from each other.

She squeezed her eyes shut, flushing hard. _Oh brothers, why?_

"So! Whose gonna go onto the next round, guys?" Their young leader asked.

Blake blinked. "Huh?"

"For the doubles round. Professor Oobleck was just talking about it; who should we pick?" Ruby's grin faded. "Weren't you paying attention, Blake?"

"Oh, uh-"

Her ears shot up before drooping back down, along with her bow, though thankfully all of the cameras had moved onto the team selections for the next match and they were too far for anyone but her teammates to have noticed.

And Weiss certainly did.

"Are you alright? You didn't overdo it, did you?" She inquired, worry clear in her voice. "Maybe we should get you something to eat. Come on."

The dainty hand wrapped around hers once more, the brunette suppressing a squeak of shock as she was pulled off towards the aerial docks, their partners following in tow.

"I bet they haven't gotten together yet because you keep picking on them." The young sister hissed, elbowing the blonde in the gut.

Of course, Yang reeled over from the attack she really should've been expecting before shooting her leader a glare. "Well, that's THEIR problem, isn't it? If they're going to dance around each other like that, how can my prodding be harmful?"

Blake flattened her ears at the whispering, hoping beyond reason that Weiss couldn't hear them.

* * *

The trip over was short but packed, forcing the team to squish together on the benched interior of the transport.

"Hey, guys? We should probably figure out who to select for the doubles round. Like, now. I mean, the teachers need our choice by- OOF!"

As the ship made a wide bank, Yang's arm crashed into her side. Rubbing the bruised spot, she narrowed her silver eyes at lilac, the brawler shrugging innocently before sticking out her tongue.

The same motion sent Weiss careening into Blake, landing in the taller girl's lap in shock. She pushed herself out in a rush, too embarrassed to notice how hard she'd pushed against one of the other girl's legs that sent red crawling up the brunette's face.

Clearly her throat, the heiress tried to divert her own mind. "Well, uh, Ruby's right. Though I'd prefer if we all voted rather than having our leader choose for us."

She ignored the betrayed look on her partner's face as she received nods from the other two.

Their leader pouted and crossed her arms over her chest before relenting. " _Fine._ "

"Plus, if we choose right now, they and I can start training tonight."

"Woah, woah, woah. Hang on, Ice Queen. What makes you so sure we'll pick you?" Yang teased.

Her exclamation was met with a raised eyebrow from the heiress and a muffled giggle from the Faunus sitting next to her.

"Let's put it to a vote, then. Okay, here, I've got some notes we can write on." The red-haired girl pulled the pages from one of her pockets.

Weiss used one of her pens to scribble a name on a folded piece of paper before passing it along to the rest of the team. Ruby gathered up all of the votes and started unfolding them.

"Okay, let's see here. The first vote goes to: Weiss!"

Blue eyes shone.

"Second vote goes to Yang!"

The brawler's lips curled into a small smile.

"The third vote goes to Weiss, again! So she'll definitely be going. And the fourth vote goes to… Blake." Ruby's face dropped. "So it's a tie between Blake and- WAIT, NONE OF YOU VOTED FOR ME?!"

Yang looked at her partner in confusion, neglecting the harsh tugging at her shoulder as her little sister whined. "So… how do we break the tie?"

Amber eyes moved down to the ponytail beside her, wrapped in tricolor. "Well, I suppose… the winner should choose who they go with."

Lilac eyes narrowed but the blonde didn't make any attempt to refuse the suggestion.

"Huh? Me?"

The heiress bit her lip. Her mind was running wild.

Her first thoughts were immediately of Blake.

_Wait, but that's… wouldn't I… surely, but…_

…

"Okay. I choose Yang."

Blake managed to keep her ears from moving this time, masking her disappointment and realization of said disappointment with a trained blank face whilst the sisters exchanged much less subtle looks of confusion.

To be fair, Yang WAS the strongest fighter out of the four. It only made logical sense to choose her to continue on; she would, no doubt, be their best bet at winning the final, especially if they had to end up facing someone like Pyrrha.

Weiss groaned internally.

The other reason was that spending that much time training with Blake was sure to drive her insane.

_If I'm fighting alongside her the whole time, I'll just end up constantly losing focus._

That meant she had to get her mind out of the gutter and training alongside the fiery fighter would be the best way to do that. Maybe they'd even work well together.

_As long as Xiao Long watches her tongue, of course._

Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "Well, uh, I guess that works then. WE'RE GOOD TO GOOOOOOO!" She shouted before suddenly wrapping her arms around her stomach, face wrinkling up in pain. "Uuugh. Is anyone else starving?"

Blue eyes rolled. "Gee. If only there was some place on campus to get food." She snarked before gesturing to the approaching tents out the airship's window.

"OH WAIT."

* * *

**Poor Ruby. Don't worry, I'm not tormenting her just because I can…**


	22. It's Brawl in the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Sorry that I haven't uploaded within the last 7 days. I've kinda been in a slump because of the lack of Monochrome content recently. DashingIceCream has been moving away from RWBY recently (though she does still occasionally post WeissxBlake pics), WeissColdGlare has been doing a lot more White Rose over the past few days (not really an issue, I'm just not interested in WeissxRuby is all, but** **obviously** **I don't get to decide what they draw; plus White Rose Week is coming up in a week or two…) and I'm not letting myself read Donesses's Scars fanfics until I'm done with this fic, so I've had to contend with looking through old fan works for inspiration.**

**Speaking of Donesses, they contacted me to pretty much give me a slap over the head for last chapter's comment because I'm being too self-deprecating and forgetting that you guys, the audience, will almost certainly be able to enjoy both stories. I guess I'm back on the fence again in terms of that sequel, though I also don't want to start a project I don't think I'll be able to finish.**

**I don't have a lot of pride in my skills as a writer (this is definitely more of a hobby than something I could even consider making a career out of) so knowing that there are people that enjoy my work anyway is a big part of what drives me on, along with the fact that I feel I owe it to WCG and you guys to finish this, whether or not I actually do owe anybody anything.**

**Really, my thoughts right now are of self-doubt, jumbled feelings regarding my abilities, questioning myself for how much my fic should or shouldn't follow the canon storyline and acknowledgement that I am ALMOST CERTAINLY OVERTHINKING ALL OF THESE THINGS.**

**Still, thank you, Donesses. Rock on.** **I'd also like to make a shout-out to merendinoemiliano,** **once again, for always leaving such kind comments on my works.**

**I will be skipping most of Chapter 2 (not the last time I'll be doing something like that, by the way) because I didn't feel like I could add much to it. Though it should be noted that the first scene takes place immediately before Team SSSN's match, not at the exact start of Chapter 3. Again, I'm planning on leaving excluded scenes from the show as they were, but I may reach a point soon where I feel it would be better to have you guys guess what's actually happening off-screen, depending on the path I decide to go.**

**Volume 3, Chapter 3, 'It's Brawl in the Family'**

* * *

"Uh, Weiss?"

"Hmmm?"

Weiss looked over at her crush and was shocked to see her face beat red, eyes shifting.

"Could you… uh… are you going to stop doing that… with your hand?"

Arching an eyebrow, the heiress looked up at the hand she was waving. "Is it… not normal to wave at your friends? I mean, Sun and Neptune probably need all the encouragement they can get for this round." A thought crossed her mind, leaving her sputtering. "I-I'm not into Neptune, just so you know. N-NOT THAT THAT HAS ANYTHING to, uh, do with… anything really…"

"N-no. I mean… your… other hand…" Blake was practically shivering at this point.

Blue eyes followed her left arm all the way down to the seat, expecting to find it gripping the armrest. Instead, it seemed she was tracing light patterns along the Faunus girl's thigh.

_Huh._

…

…

Moving faster than she could ever remember, she pulled her hand back into her own lap, all of her previous focus shattered. Opening her mouth to try and explain herself, all she managed was a couple of high-pitched noises before shutting it to save herself from any more embarrassment than she'd already suffered.

_Oum dammit! Even when I'm not thinking about her..._

She covered her face with her hands.

_What I would do for some sort of distraction right now._

Blake wasn't faring much better. The heat raging through her body was incredibly uncomfortable. Her mind twisted itself as she tried to comprehend whether the action had been an accident or intentional. Either way, she screwed her eyes shut, refusing to open them even when Yang shook her shoulder to yell something about Sage's form, Scarlet's graceful dodging or Sun's liberal use of his gun-chucks.

Eventually, the match ended with a narrow victory for Team SSSN. Neither Blake nor Weiss had paid any attention to the match with their minds on the fritz, but according to their teammates, Neptune had been the only one left standing. He had conquered his phobia of water in an effort to try and save Sage, while his final electrical attack had hit both Scarlet and Sun in order to finish off the rest of Team NDGO's members. It was likely why the red-haired boy was being held back by his leader and wildly kicking at his other teammate.

The brunette didn't particularly care at that point. Right now, all she wanted to do was go back to the dorm room and take a long, COLD shower. And hopefully clear her mind of anything for the next month or so.

' _She's here.'_

The light whisper from Weiss was all the warning Blake got before the heiress bolted past her, evidently forgetting the events from just a few minutes ago. The Faunus swore at the sensation left on her shoulder where her crush had touched to move past her.

_This is getting unbearable._

… _wait, who's 'she'?_

* * *

Blake had many reasons to be nervous right now and even the knowledge that she was standing with the rest of her team made her feel no better.

In front of her, emerging from a very fancy-looking airship, was Winter Schnee.

"Winter…" The younger Schnee's voice was filled with respect and adoration.

This woman was a full-fledged huntress. She was reportedly one of the strongest fighters in the entire Atlesian military and one of its highest ranking officers under General Ironwood himself.

She was also a Schnee, which meant that any member of the White Fang knew about her abilities and was constantly (and unreasonably) watching behind their backs on the off-chance the white-haired woman suddenly appeared with a sword through their chests.

And then, of course, there was the fact that she was Weiss's older sister.

THAT would spell trouble for anyone in the heiress's love-life.

A shockingly familiar blue gaze washed over the brunette, who tried with all her might to neither shift nervously nor freeze suddenly under the powerful glower. Part of her thought that Winter could already see straight through her bow, see into her past and history, see her feelings for the woman's own sister and was already plotting how to best skewer her through when the opportunity presented itself.

The lump forming in her throat was painful. Blake briefly wondered if this was the feeling that her novel's characters experienced when they met close family members of their love interest.

At least most of them weren't on such hostile terms with their judge.

While Blake put all of her strength into not shattering to pieces right there and then, Yang stood in utter amazement, lilac eyes shining.

The blonde briefly wondered how much she and the other older sister had in common. Maybe they'd end up sharing stories about their younger siblings.

The thought left her smiling wide, though she toned herself back to a respectable manner. She'd heard far more than enough from her tiny teammate to know not to be _too_ informal when meeting the officer.

Weiss curtsied as her elder sister approached, barely hiding her admiration. "Winter! I'm so happy to see you here!"

Winter's eyes finally fell on Weiss with a small shift in her features and nothing more. "It seems the academy hasn't changed much since I've last come here. If its reputation is still the same as well, then I hope you have been performing at your upmost abilities in your studies, sister."

The formal tone and wording caused the heiress's grin to falter, but she kept her posture and gave a curt nod in response.

"So… these are your… teammates? Friends, perhaps?" Winter inquired, her tone clearly not impressed as she casted her eyes over the group again, Blake doing her best not to flinch when the light-blue gaze reached her, trailing up her hair and tracing along the colored pieces of fabric before returning to Weiss's own.

"That's right! I've had a great time here and it's almost all thanks to them."

The other three girls smiled warmly, Blake once more trying to hold down her blush.

"I see." The officer's face contorted. "Considering the many failures and mistakes you committed during the opening round, as well as their ridiculous outfits, they must be a bunch of miscreants to have affected your performance to such a degree."

Whatever respectful façade Yang had been putting up before fell apart with the words. Ruby immediately put herself between the two, pushing against her elder sister's stomach while flashing a wary smile.

The blonde clenched up her fists, trying to force herself to calm down. This was still Weiss's sister, even if she'd just insulted the very girl, herself, her partner and…

Winter looked down at the cloaked girl with a complete lack of interest. "And _this_ is the girl who supposedly surpassed your abilities to become the leader of your team?"

She gave Ruby a quick once-over.

"Disgraceful."

The brawler's patience ran out, pushing past her younger sister, bringing her crimson-red eyes up to her opponent's level blue gaze as her mane caught fire. The other woman barely reacted to the flaming spectacle.

"WINTER! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Both girls froze. While Yang's face relaxed as she inhaled sharply, Winter looked completely flabbergasted. Never before had she heard such an authoritative tone used by her younger sister, at least aimed at her. Yet, there Weiss was, practically staring down on her despite the obvious height discrepancy. Flames danced behind her eyes, face pinched in a fierce scowl.

It was as though she was some kind of Ice Queen.

If Blake wasn't currently suffering from the same shock, she might have laughed at the older woman. Indeed, she'd just watched Weiss go from practically worshipping the officer to ordering her down like a commander.

Icy glare notwithstanding, it was actually kind of hot.

The heiress only broke her grimace to seek out her brunette teammate behind her, something flashing through her eyes before calming down and reengaging her sister, her voice lowered back to its original formal tone. "I understand that they may not meet your expectations, but can you at least give them some respect as my friends?"

Winter continued staring before letting out a sigh. "Very well. While I _am_ here on some rather important work, _that I can't tell you about_ …" She narrowed her eyes at Weiss's rising brows, "I do have some free time before I need to be anywhere. Would you kindly mind showing me around the campus? Perhaps you could tell me some stories about your adventures here in Vale. That hopefully didn't involve your…" She paused, reconsidering her choice of words, "… _friends_."

Blue eyes brightened back up immediately in spite of the growl that Yang let out. Weiss had been expecting the normal questioning routine but the idea of showing herself and Beacon off to her elder sibling was just…

Well, it wasn't amazing, but it was still probably the best thing for this kind of situation.

"Yeah! That sounds… I mean, uh, right this way then." She gestured towards the main building's tower. Her teammates separated to allow the siblings to walk between them, though Yang kept up her blazing glare as Winter walked by.

The heiress spun around and looked over at her partner. "You guys can head back if you want. I'll probably only be an hour or so. See you!"

"Wait! Weiss…"

Blake reached up a hand before stopping herself.

What was she doing?! Weiss obviously wanted to spend time with her sister, so it's not like she should be-

"I'll follow in a moment, Winter. Blake wants to discuss something with me."

Winter's gaze hit the Faunus again, who felt sweat building on her forehead once more under the harsh glower.

"…very well. Don't take too long."

And in a flash, the heiress stood before her once again. Except, it wasn't the same heiress she'd known over the past year. This one looked like she was going to burst with happiness. Nothing had ever caused the white-haired girl to act so expressive. So open about… everything.

It just felt… very unusual. The brunette didn't really know what to think.

Not too sure of herself, Blake decided to start with the first thing she could think of.

"You seemed so… different when you're talking to her." She noted, her amber eyes traveling up and down the heiress's form. "Like, your whole demeanor changes. You don't hold anything back. You just… say whatever's on your mind."

Weiss's cheeks lit up. "Y-yeah. I suppose so. I always looked up to her, so I guess it just feels natural for me to try and tell her how I'm feeling, maybe expecting to impress her." Her smile became a bit crooked. "Though she never really seems to think well of it."

In spite of herself, Blake managed to crack a smile. "It almost seems like she's the only person in your family you can tolerate. Though I don't really see how."

The grin faded when she saw the slight shift in Weiss's posture. The heiress's own smile didn't fall, but the small movements in her face suggested that the brunette's words had hit the wrong note as the heiress turned her back to her, rubbing her arm. "Yeah," she sighed, "I guess she is…"

Amber eyes widening, the Faunus girl shot her hand out to grab her teammate's shoulder, causing the snow-haired girl to jolt in surprise. Before she could turn around, Blake whispered to her.

' _Weiss, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that.'_ She looked down. _'I just… I guess I don't really know what it's like. I haven't seen my parents in years, but they were always so kind to me and everyone else. I… I hope you know that we're always here for you if you need us, so… don't hesitate to say what's on your mind.'_ She finished, echoing the ideals that her team had managed to give her since their first day together.

After a second, Weiss brought up a hand to grip the one on her shoulder, back still turned to the Faunus. _'I know. It's fine. I do really look up to her, even if she isn't always straightforward with how she cares about me. It reminds me of myself, sometimes.'_ Her azure eyes flicked back to meet the golden ones. _'And of some other people I know…'_

As her teammate found herself lost for words, the heiress turned around fully, a light tint on her cheeks. _'Your parents sound absolutely wonderful, too. I'd love to meet them someday.'_

THAT sent Blake's mind flustering. _M-M-M-Meeting my… p-parents?!_

Weiss shifted her surprisingly soft gaze to her other teammates, both of whom were pretending not to pay attention to the scene playing out in front of them. "Like I said, I'll head back to the dorm later. See you guys."

Running off, she left Blake standing rigid, unable to move. Over the past few minutes, she'd gone through such a wide range of emotions that sent her mind whirling, unable to process much of the information that had come with the experiences.

"Well, she was…" Yang hesitated as her red eyes faded back to lilac, "…pleasant? Brothers, if that's what Weiss will be like in less than a decade, I'd say we lucked out with our Schnee… uh, Remnant to Blake?"

"Huh?"

"Geez, you really fell hard for Weiss, huh?"

Ruby glared at her older sister, before shooting an apologetic glance at her teammate. "Blake, if you need any help, you can always come to us. You know that, right?"

The brunette rubbed her arm.

_Maybe… that's right. Maybe keeping things bottled up… wasn't the right way to go._

"…maybe I do need your help."

Lilac eyes blinked, before a huge grin split across the brawler's face.

* * *

This… was an absolute disaster.

Weiss stood gaping in shock as her elder sister traded blows with a clearly intoxicated man, standing amongst the masses that had gathered to watch the spectacle.

_Oh, how did it come to this?_

"HEY, YANG! LOOK! IT'S UNCLE QROW!"

"YEAH, IT IS! GO UNCLE QROW! KICK HER BUTT!"

… _ah._

Twirling around, she scowled at her partner and teammate, both of whom reared back at the sudden rage permeating off of their friend. After a moment, the heiress redirected her anger back at Qrow, who, she felt, deserved it more. Once they were sure the Ice Queen's focus was back on the fight, the two sisters started cheering over her shoulders.

Arriving right behind them, Blake looked down at the heiress's hand, glancing back up at the white ponytail encompassing her vision and the ribbons tied in it. Catching a glimpse of the gleam in her blue eyes, it seemed that the heiress was completely entranced by the battle, throwing out an occasional insult at the middle-aged man.

' _All you gotta do is be more confident, Blake. The direct approach is the most effective. Plus, if you REALLY think she might not like you, it'll be the fastest way to confir- OWWW! RUBY!'_

The brunette shook her head, wavy onyx strands dancing around her shoulders as they hitched up. She inhaled silently and, ever so slowly, moved to clutch her hand around Weiss's.

After a moment, Weiss spun around to face her, the look she was giving off etched with surprise. Blake tried not to wince too hard. The shocked orbs that stared down at their intertwined fingers softened slowly, a content smile forming on her lips. She glanced back up at her teammate, all previous irritation gone from her expression before looking back to her sister's fight, even giving her hand a light squeeze.

The Faunus girl somehow managed to keep her legs from turning to jello.

_I…_

… _this… this is enough. I feel like I…_

_I feel like I could stay like this forever._

Soon, the fight came to a standstill after an intervention from General Ironwood and Professor Ozpin. Ruby and Yang used the opportunity to run up to their uncle and nearly tackle him over, both chattering excitedly at him with energy he couldn't hope to match despite his own joy at seeing his nieces.

As the blonde and the redhead rejoined the group, Weiss shook her head, exasperated. "That was… absolutely awful. Your uncle is such a brute."

"Well, I didn't think Winter did very well either, considering ALL THE MISTAKES SHE WAS MAKING." Yang suddenly shouted, grinning mischievously.

After staring daggers at the man as he slouched past, Winter walked up to the group, looking down at her sister as though the other three weren't there.

"Weiss, I'll be discussing something with the general. We can talk later. Do try not to cause too much trouble for your…" That ghosting gaze returned to acknowledge the rest of her team, this time ending with a glare at the blonde. "… _friends._ "

Yang barely reacted, keeping on her award-winning smile until the elder woman turned around, at which she stuck out her tongue at the back of the woman's head before receiving yet another elbow to the gut from Weiss.

"OWWW! Seriously, am I gonna need to buy some sort of body armor if you guys are gonna keep this up?!"

"We'll stop doing it when you stop being such a brute! Though from that fight, I can clearly see that your and Ruby's antics run in your blood."

At that, the blonde scratched the locks at the back of her head. "Actually, Weiss… Only Qrow and I are related, not Ruby; he's just her honorary uncle."

The revelation surprised Weiss. Even though they were so… openly affectionate? Sure, maybe she and her partner came from different households, but the idea of treating someone she wasn't related to like they were was pretty much foreign to the snow-haired girl.

_Well, expect maybe Klein…_

… _okay, maybe that does make sense…_

"Well, okay; then it still makes sense for _you_."

She got another stuck-out-tongue as a response. "Well, I can definitely say he's been a better role model than my… uh…"

The brawler cut herself off, looking down at her feet sheepishly.

The rest of her team looked at each other, suddenly worried by their teammate's sudden drop in mood. "You alright, Yang?" Her partner asked, concerned.

She received a guilty smirk. "I'm good, Blakey. Just need to… actually, you know what? Let's go do some practicing. We have the free time anyway, at least until Winter comes back to pick up the ice queen."

She started towards the courtyard, throwing her hand over her shoulder to beckon the rest of her team, who exchanged glances, the air still unsettled.

* * *

**I don't know if I've said this before, but I feel like I'd be better at writing Winter if she had more than 2 episodes-worth of screen time and was mentioned more often than she actually is in the show.**


	23. Lessons Learned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Yet again, I can naught but apologize for the delays.**

**I like to upload on a schedule because it lets you guys know that I am not dead. However, due to real life stuff, I've found myself running behind schedule because I don't wish to sacrifice too much of the work's quality simply because I don't have tons of time to write when I'm so busy.**

**Oh, and that's not the only reason I've been less productive in my writing.**

**3 words: CROSS. TAG. BATTLE.**

**Thus, be wary of more delays in the future, which I will hopefully try to avoid.**

**Volume 3, Chapter 4, 'Lessons Learned'**

* * *

"You oaf! That's the third time!"

"Well, maybe if you watched where you shot your ice shards, I wouldn't have run into them!"

"Well, _maybe_ if you paid any attention to your teammate, you would have seen them coming!"

Yang heaved out a heavy sigh as she hoisted herself to her feet. "I don't think this move is working."

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. "You _think_?"

With a whisk of Myrtenaster, the large blocks of ice embedded in the ground vanished as the brawler began pacing back and forth.

"Hey, Weiss. Can I ask you something?"

"My crush on Blake doesn't involve you."

The blonde resumed pacing.

"Seriously, Yang. Let it rest." The heiress flipped open the chamber of her weapon, spinning it casually to check that she wasn't running low on her dust reserves. "I can handle it on my own and any unwanted intervention is NOT going to be appreciated."

"You guys have been circling each other for weeks!"

" _It's none of your business, Xiao Long_."

"Of course it's my problem! You're my friend! Friends are supposed to solve each other's problems and I'm telling you, for real, that the only problem that exists here is you believing that you're not capable of getting my partner to fall for you!"

"I don't- how do you act so confident all the time?" Her blue eyes flittered shut as she brought up a hand to massage her temples. "Why do you seem so sure that she'd like me back? I know we care about each other but it takes more than that for someone to fall in love."

Her eyes opened when she heard the sound of fabric being pulled. She turned to see Yang tightening the black cloth around her arm.

"I'm sure because you guys are my team. You guys all mean the world to me. That means I gotta look out for you, know what goes through your guys' heads and help out with anything that comes up."

"You're not my mom, Yang."

"Well, I had plenty of practice with Ruby."

Weiss didn't have a reply for that. She looked down at her rapier, checking it over once before bringing it out forwards, aiming at the darkening clouds in the sky. Her brows dropped and she took a deep breath as the wind picked up, the ribbons in her hair dancing.

Yang sighed again, crossing her arms. "Look, I get it if you don't wanna talk about it anymore. But we have to think of SOMETHING for Freezerburn. Any ideas?"

Weiss didn't reply.

"Princess."

"…"

"Ice Queen."

"…"

"Snowflake. Snow Angel!"

"…"

Yang gave up in frustration. "OH, FOR CRYING OUT- WEISS SCHNEE!"

"SHUT UP, I'M TRYING TO FOCUS!"

When she noticed the small glyph forming at her teammate's feet, the brawler snapped to attention, ready to start up their training sequence again. But her face twisted into awe as the glyph expanded outwards quickly.

Weiss grit her teeth. Pain was coursing through her. Something was almost certainly going to go wrong.

The glyph started to spinning quickly as the center started to glow.

' _I… I was hurting people. I was hurting people because he told me to and because I thought it was right because he SAID it was right and I-I… I just…'_

She had to focus.

' _I believe I owe you a dance?'_

_Focus._

' _Don't be. I'm just glad you're alright.'_

_FOCUS!_

' _I… I hope you know that we're always here for you if you need us, so… don't hesitate to say what's on your mind.'_

And then, all at once, the symbol shattered.

Myrtenaster fell to the ground with a clatter. Her knees felt weak. Everything ached even as her heart rate fell once more. Her head was in her hands and she felt pretty close to shattering to pieces herself.

_It's hopeless. I can't even summon. What kind of confidence can I build if I can't even bring myself to do that?_

_Why does everyone think it's so easy for me to fix myself? Like talking about it will solve everything?!_

The sudden grip on her shoulder had her tense up, her head snapping back to see what was touching her, only to look up into deep lilac, warm and sparkling. "Weiss, that was awesome! Where did you learn to do that?! Why didn't you tell us about it earlier?!"

The snow-haired girl simply stood rigid. "I- What are you talking about? It didn't even work…"

Yang was barely fazed by the rebuttal. "Uh, whatever it was, it looked stupidly powerful! Give yourself more credit! Even if it didn't work, it practically scared the crap outta me! We gotta use that in our battle!"

Once again, the heiress found herself at a loss for words. Everyone kept holding her up so high, as though she had some incredible source of might. Yet, no matter what happened, even when she failed, they'd always give her encouragement. They'd always tell her how strong she looked or how talented she was or how confident they were in her abilities.

Even when she didn't have confidence in herself.

_That's… that's what teamwork is all about, I guess…_

… _haven't I done that for them before though?_

…

… _maybe talking WOULD do me some good…_

The blonde's smile grew. "Plus, it can _totally_ help you show off to Blake when we're fighting."

The returning stare turned back into a glower as Weiss suddenly struck out with her elbow at her larger teammate's gut. Of course, by now, Yang had learned, on reflex, to protect her stomach and block the blow.

What she hadn't learned how to block yet was the acceleration glyph that appeared under her feet.

* * *

"Uh, Ruby? Maybe we should do something about-"

"Its _fine_ , Blake. They're teammates; they can learn how to get along."

"Is that why my partner's flying across the courtyard right now?"

Ruby dropped her fists from her fighting stance as her silver eyes followed the brunette's finger to see her elder sibling crash into a tree on the far side of the large field. After briefly flicking her gaze to her own partner and back, she waved a hand and scoffed. "Please. Yang's faced far worse before. Now come on! I want to finish this stupid close-quarters-combat stuff and go do something that's actually fun!"

Blake chuckled. "Calm down, Ruby. Yang only wants you to do them because she cares about you, that's all. Plus, YOU said yourself back in Mountain Glenn that you wanted to learn how to fight with your fists."

The cloaked girl brought up both her arms to block a punch from her teammate. "I know. I just wish it could be more… engaging, that's all."

"What, trying to avoid getting punched in the face isn't engaging enough for you?"

"That's not what I-OOF!"

Crashing to the dirt, Ruby rubbed her cheek vigorously. A hand offered by Blake brought her back up to her feet as she dusted off her skirt.

"Focus, Ruby."

All the Faunus got was an annoyed glare from her esteemed leader.

After a few more tries, the younger girl gave up on the move and plopped down on the ground, hanging her head in defeat. Her brunette teammate crouched over next to her, hugging her legs under herself.

"You know, I'm supposed to be the leader of this team, yet I'm the one who everyone had to come to the rescue for back at Mountain Glenn."

"Ruby…"

"Blake, I know Yang and I are helping you build up the confidence to ask Weiss out-"

"I _really_ wish you wouldn't say that out loud."

"But what's the point if I can't even be a competent leader? How can I help you guys when I can't help myself?"

The bow on top of her head crumpling slightly, Blake closed her eyes, searching for the right words. When she opened them again to bore back into silver, her tone was low and soft.

"I know I'm not exactly the one to be giving out advice on confidence, but I can tell you that I've seen you do amazing things. Even before our initiation test, you managed to convince me of a perspective on the world that I'd never really thought of before then. One that was probably just as important to me as my realization that not all Schnees are bad."

She gave off a wary smile as the two pairs of eyes glanced over at their teammates, the blonde leaping off a large shard to land on a glyph before smashing her way through another block of ice whilst the heiress twirled her rapier through the air.

"You're a leader because you… you inspire. Your ability to assess a situation and think up a crazy plan that still manages to work keeps surprising me to this very day. You're so kind and sweet and you've made my days here unforgettable. Even if you don't trust in yourself, I do. Because I've experienced firsthand what it can do and I can say, without doubt, that you've had a great impact on my life."

The red-haired girl gave off a smile, reaching out a hand to pull her teammate into a side-hug that was gladly returned.

After letting go, she pulled out Crescent Rose from its place on her back and got to work cleaning her scythe-sniper, while Blake pulled out Gambol Shroud and looked it over. They sat together for a few minutes, silently polishing their weapons, before the cloaked girl spoke up again.

"Say… do you think you can tell us more about your life in the White Fang?"

"I don't think I'm ready for something like that quite yet."

"Okay. Then how about you tell me just how much you love Weiss?"

"I…"

Pausing to consider her words and her thoughts, she flipped over her cleaver to inspect the other side while flashing her leader a deceivingly calm look. "I think I'm fine with what I have now. There's no point in risking our friendship on a gamble that won't get me further than I already am."

While Ruby didn't respond outwardly, her mind was tearing her own hair out. Rules sometimes suck, but rules _that you yourself created_ that get in the way of solving simple problems suck HARD.

_Alright, come on, Rubes. You just got a pep talk from her; time to return the favor!_

She took a deep breath, clutching the trio of roses on the chest of her outfit before bringing out a gentle grin. "Blake, you shouldn't be worried about things like that. Even if you don't think it'll work, that doesn't mean you can just give up. I'm sure she'd appreciate the compliment and, if you truly think she doesn't have feelings for you, she very well might afterwards."

Amber eyes opened wide. Her gaze became questioning. "That's… quite the optimistic outlook."

Ruby's grin only grew brighter. "Sounds like the thing you said to me on our first night at Beacon!"

Not sure what to say, Blake looked down at Gambol Shroud, her reflection staring back with the same amount of confusion and worry that she felt.

 _What if she's wrong, though? What if it's all just a big misunderstanding? What if Weiss just thinks I'm a cute cat Faunus with adorable ears and that's all there is to it?_ _Maybe that's all I mean to her._

_I'm sure caring has plenty of meanings._

She shut her eyes and breathed in.

' _You need to relax. Please, do it for your own health. Even if not for that, do it for the rest of us. We can't stand to see you like this.'_

' _You owe nobody ANYTHING.'_

' _Don't say that! I'd trust you with my life!'_

' _You certainly have a unique taste, Blake.'_

'… _I just want to remind her, she has people who care…'_

The image of her face on her blade returned to greet her with a much more confident and assuring expression. She couldn't stop the smile forming on her lips.

_That's what I get for being pessimistic on a team with two huge idealists. There's no point in feeling down about this._

"Oh, look, Winter's back!"

_AND there goes all that bright and shining optimism._

The four words drained all color from her face. Though she stood back up, at attention, the brunette wasn't able to turn to face the visitor as the elder Schnee sibling walked by, straight up to her little sister.

"Weiss, I'm afraid we won't have time for a tour today, but I'd still like to talk to you. Do you mind if we go get something to drink while we chat?"

Cheer returned to the smaller girl's face. "Really?! Er, that's, uh, that's perfectly acceptable."

Weiss offered a wave to Ruby and Yang but paused as her gaze fell on her crush. Looking away for a second as her face turned pink, she gave a small nod and a crooked smile.

Blake's cheeks heated up as Weiss turned away to leave. Winter then filled her vision, a massive frown on her face as her gaze froze the blood in the Faunus girl's veins.

The woman loomed over as her voice hissed out.

' _If my sister falls for you, you better believe that I will make sure you keep her happy. You hear?_ ' Her words were laced with venom, undaunted and extremely hostile. ' _If you do anything to break her heart, I can assure you there will repercussions of the highest order.'_

Every hair in her black locks stood on end. She couldn't even keep her bow from twitching, though if the Schnee woman noticed, she made no outward note of it.

Blake's mouth fell open but nothing came out, which was probably for the best because she wouldn't have been surprised if she'd simply produced a croak instead of actual words.

She was also quite surprised when Winter walked off after her sister, leaving the brunette frozen in place instead of cutting her down where she stood.

Yang stalked over to her partner and waved a hand in front of her face. "Uh, Blakey? You okay? How bad did Officer Frigid get you?" When she got no response, she turned to Ruby, who simply shrugged. Turning back to the Faunus girl, she uncurled a finger from her fist and poked Blake's cheek, causing her to rock back and forth but remaining otherwise motionless.

"Uh, sis? I think she fainted standing up."

* * *

**DON'T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! BELIEVE IN THE ME THAT BELIEVES IN YOU!**

***gets hit with copyright infringement***

**Cyclic trust. Symbiosis. Synergy. There are many concepts and words for it, but 'teamwork' seems to represent it best.**

**You don't have to have others in your life, but you won't usually get as far on your own.**

**And hopefully those others will pick you back up when your lover's overprotective older sibling knocks you down with the 'If you ever do anything to hurt them…' line.**

**On another note, my three-month anniversary of starting this fic just passed. Less than halfway to Volume 6 of RWBY and I'm already three-quarters of the way done with this story!**


	24. Never Miss A Beat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Yeah, see, even if you guys don't panic over me missing deadlines, I DO. But I HAVE been busy editing old chapters of this and my other fics for spelling/grammar mistakes.**

**Excuses or not, it still left a knot in my stomach to leave this without updating it for nearly two weeks.**

**Volume 3, Chapter 5, 'Never Miss A Beat'**

* * *

 

_Oh brothers, not now!_

Weiss gritted her teeth as she tried to force the two broken pieces of her tiara's coupling together, to no avail. The pitiful clanking of uneven metal rung out in the empty changing room, nothing else to accompany it but the distant loudspeaker calling out her and Yang's names.

The two had decided not to wear their team ribbons for the match on the off-chance they ended up getting damaged in the crossfire. Of course, that meant she had nothing to tie up her signature ponytail with now that her stupid accessory had decided to malfunction at the last possible minute before they went out to the arena. It was embarrassing for her to wear her hair down and now she was going to have to do exactly that in front of most of Remnant!

"You okay, Weiss?"

Thin steel clanged against the ground.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

The snow-haired girl didn't even turn around, settling her hands in her lap rather than reaching down for the useless hunk of metal. "Blake… w-what are you doing here?"

"I was… just gonna give you a last minute pep-talk." The Faunus girl smiled softly. "But it seems you may need some different kind of help."

The heiress bit her lip. Training with Yang, in spite of the blonde girl's persistence on pestering her on the subject, had managed to take her mind off of her crush over the past few weeks. Yet, the soothing sound of the brunette's voice was all it took to derail her train of thought once again.

She wasn't completely sure where her confidence in herself to maintain her composure had gone, but she guessed she'd left it with Winter.

She dearly wished to have it back.

"Here, let me see if…"

"What are you-"

The words caught in her throat as her teammate undid her trademark black bow, revealing her upper appendages. In the small changing room, there was no one for them to worry about seeing them, but the act still shocked Weiss.

As quickly as the ribbon fell into her hand, Blake brought her white ribbon up from behind her head and retied it around her ears before moving swiftly down to take a long handful of white strands as she brought the black cloth around Weiss's ponytail.

Her azure eyes traced over the velvety black silk adorning her hair. Her lips were incapable of forming the right words.

"There. Better?"

"I-" Weiss's fists balled up in her lap, but she spared another glance at her teammate. "Why did you use your black bow instead of one of your other ribbons for my hair?"

Amber pupils shrunk as Blake immediately reached up to the two ribbons still tied in her hair, holding them in silence.

… _I-I don't really know._

"-I… I just wanted to remind you that… you… you have people who care…"

And suddenly, regret washed over the Faunus at her poor choice of words, yanking at her hair in frustration as her ears flattened.

_No, you idiot! She's gonna figure out that you heard her that night if you say that!_

"…thank you."

The two words cut through Blake's panic with resounding force as she took a step back, hands clutched up against her chest as she stared at the small snowflake adorning the back of her teammate's bolero.

"It was nothing." She forced out.

The smile the heiress was hiding faded immediately. _Right, nothing._

_No reason to freak out, Weiss, she's just looking out for you._

"Okay. I'm off, then."

"We'll be rooting for you."

"…yeah."

Those few awkward seconds as Weiss walked off towards the arena seemed to drag on for far too long for Blake to handle. As the last of the white ponytail slipped out of view, the brunette stood stark still for a few more seconds before snapping to attention and turning back towards the changing room's door.

* * *

 

The cheering was still as annoyingly loud as it was the other day.

Weiss really did hate the attention, especially since her older sister had decided to point out every mistake she'd made on the battlefield to her. Before it was just obnoxious, but now if felt like the crowd was simply preparing to burst into laughter when she tripped up and fell flat on her face.

_No, Weiss. You and Yang have been practicing for weeks. You'll be fine._

The blonde, at the very least, seemed to be enjoying the audience's attention, waving wildly and wearing her ever-present wide grin.

Turning to look around the stadium, the heiress noticed that Yang was actually waving in a particular direction. Blocking part of her view, Weiss squinted up into the stands, finally able to pick out two shapes, one red and one black topped with white.

Her leader seemed to be standing up, cupping her hands over her mouth and, judging by the fact that their other teammate was leaning away from her, probably screaming something along the lines of "GO FREEZERBURN!" at the top of her lungs.

The snow-haired girl smiled and offered a small wave in return, noticing the black shape shift slightly when she did.

Blake was so focused on not shuffling that she nearly jumped out of her skin when Ruby elbowed her.

"You see that, Blake? She's waving at YOU!"

"She could just as well be waving at both of us, Ruby."

She received a pout. "You're not really good at this whole 'romance' thing, huh?"

Outwardly, amber eyes rolled. Inwardly, her stomach turned over.

_I'm sure if you'd had my experience, you'd understand why._

Weiss strung her ponytail through her fingers, reaching the silk at the base before a light punch on her arm brought her mind back to reality.

"So, you're from Atlas. What should we be expecting?"

According to the loudspeaker, they would be going up against a duo known as Flynt Coal and Neon Katt, a pair from her home nation. Unsurprisingly, neither name rang a bell; the heiress had been tutored at home since she was a toddler and never attended any of Atlas's huntsman schools.

She couldn't offer much, but her mind got to reasoning. "Well, seeing as our kingdom, academy and armed forces are all merged as one, I think we can expect strict, militant fighters with advanced technology and carefully rehearsed strategies."

Just as she finished listing off points on her fingers, something shot past her and almost knocked her off her feet. As she righted herself with a hand from Yang, the heiress looked up to see their…

…opponents?

On the left stood a Faunus girl, a long feline tail extending out behind her. She swung a pair of blue nun-chucks as a jazzy-looking boy with a trumpet stepped forwards beside her. Both wore confident smiles despite their unusual appearances, the girl wearing what looked like a cheerleader's outfit whilst the boy's formal wear matched his instrument.

"…or whatever _they_ are."

_Okay. CLEARLY I don't know my own countrymen as well as I thought._

"Hey."

The sudden yell took Weiss aback, looking back towards their opponents with surprise.

Flynt dropped his shades slightly, a smile appearing on his face. "You're Weiss Schnee, right? The heiress."

The girl in question returned the grin, happy that she had recognition even despite her sheltered home-life. "I am!"

"I take it you're pretty good with Dust, then?"

The compliment humbled her. "I do my best."

"Yeah, my dad was good too. Owned a little Dust shop of his own." Suddenly, his brows dropped and a scowl crossed his face. "'Til your father's company ran him out of business."

"…oh." Taken by surprise, the blood drained from Weiss's face. Her grin disappeared and her shoulders hiked up, as though she was unconsciously trying to hide herself between them. "I'm… sorry to hear that."

The boy broke his glare with a roll of his eyes. "Yeah, _sure_ you are."

The snow-haired girl closed her eyes and bit her lip.

_Of course, my father's legacy has to follow me all the way here..._

Blake couldn't make out what exactly the other kid was saying to Weiss, but the way the heiress's form shuffled back in discomfort was more than enough to get her hair standing on edge.

Suddenly, a hand landed on the heiress's shoulder as Yang pushed past, pointing at Flynt. "Hey! Why don't you-"

" _Hey! Why don't_ _ **you**_?"

The blonde blinked at the interruption. Neon stepped (or, rather, _rolled_ ) forwards, speaking for the first time. "That's what _you_ sound like." She laughed, returning the accusing digit back at Yang, who brought her hand back behind her head, not sure how to respond.

Before Yang could get another word out, Weiss pulled on her arm, bringing her head down so she could whisper in her ear. _'Don't bother listening to her. She's probably just trying to psych you out, like the other kid was to me.'_

…though she wasn't about to admit how much the comment had hurt.

Neon gave off a smile as flashy as Yang usually did, rolling back and forth in place. " _Hey_! Where'd you get your hair extensions?"

There was no reply, the blonde only crossing her arms over her chest.

Their opponent stopped smiling as well, throwing her weapon over her shoulder and turning to her teammate. "Oooooh, looks like they're tired of playing around."

Brown eyes revealed themselves from under his shades. "Good. Looks like it's time to get serious then." Flynt widened his stance whilst Neon crouched down as through she was ready to start sprinting. Yang cracked her knuckles while Weiss drew Myrtenaster out in front of her.

"Alright, Yang, just stick to the plan."

THREE.

"Roger that."

TWO.

"…"

ONE.

"…wait, what was the plan again?"

The heiress refused to dignify the question with a response.

FIGHT!

Immediately, Weiss struck her weapon into the ground, fire shooting out in front of them and quickly hissing as it met the icefield corner. The sound of Flynt's trumpet crashed through the firewall, scattering flames everywhere, but within seconds, the arena was clouded in a dense fog.

She kneeled to the ground, holding her blade in her fingertips and waiting. If Yang HAD remembered the plan, she would be crossing the area and trying to find their opponents whilst she waited for the signal.

_That way, they won't see her coming and we'll catch them by surprise._

…

_Wait, wasn't that girl a-_

"SHOOT!"

Rolling out of the way, the heiress just narrowly dodged the blow. She tumbled, pushing herself back as a second strike grazed her leg, sending goosebumps along her skin at the frost emitting from the Faunus girl's weapon.

Flipping backwards, Myrtenaster sliced through the air, a trail of fire crashing down to the ground that forced her opponent away. But as Weiss righted herself, the figure faded back into the fog.

Gritting her teeth, her azure eyes flipped back and forth. _Crap! Now WE'RE the ones at a disadvantage! How did we not think of that before; why didn't we prepare ourselves to fight a Faunus?_

Off in the distance, she heard a familiar cry of rage, followed by the sound of Flynt's instrument.

Though the plan called for her to stay at long range to support Yang, being outflanked by Neon threw a wrench in their strategy. Taking no less than a second to think over her options, Weiss quickly decided to close the distance with her teammate.

_At least that way, we can watch each other's backs more easily._

Though she heard the harsh rolling of wheels to her side, she smiled and drew up her fingers.

_You're not the ONLY one who's adept at skating._

A glyph erupting under her boots, she shot forwards, sailing across the arena towards the other fight. Rolling over a figure she could easily identify as Yang and hooking out wide, she caught the instrument and pushed the boy back. Seconds later, she jumped to the side, a blast of air scattering broken ground where she'd just been a moment before.

Slowly, the fog started to dissipate and Weiss caught the shape of Yang as she turned to throw a punch at the rollerblading menace, the smaller girl twirling gracefully around her in circles.

Quickly turning her attention back to Flynt, the heiress drew out another glyph to block the next blast, though she felt the ground lurch under her as she skidded back slightly.

As he took another breath, Weiss directed a quick barrage of blasts from her weapon, which he rolled to dodge before firing off another loud note. This time, the snow-haired girl flew backwards, disoriented but still able to land on a glyph and launch back at her target.

Once more, steel clashed against brass, the boy parrying her strikes with blinding precision. Setting up a glyph between them, she pushed the two of them apart, skidding to a halt and running behind a small pile of what looked like building debris to avoid the next attack.

Kneeling for a second, Weiss caught her breath. The air in her lungs stung and her hands were shaking. She'd seen the look in his eye; he wasn't just into the match, he was _mad_. REALLY mad.

"WEISS!"

Her breath hitching, Weiss launched herself upwards, missing yet another strike from Neon as a large hunk of ice took her place. Jumping off another glyph, she landed beside her teammate, catching the low growl of frustration under-toning Yang's words.

"You okay?"

"Not really."

"Yeah, me neither."

As exhaustion began to set in, part of Weiss's mind drifted back to Blake as she caught sight of the black shape in the stands again. The face in her thoughts was giving off the same warm grin that she'd become familiar with over the past few weeks.

Without hesitation, she shook it out of her head.

_NO. No distractions. Focus on the battle._

Flynt rounded the structure and played another rocketing note as Neon entered the stream of noise and jetted towards them.

Weiss set up a propulsion glyph, trying to trip her up. As the girl rounded the obstacle, Yang threw out another swing that she jumped over, smacking her weapon into the larger girl's arm. The brawler let out a cry of shock as ice encased her upper arm. As Neon shot past her towards Weiss, she forced Flynt to evade a blast from Ember Celica on her free side before punching the ground with the other and shattering the cast.

Ice extended out from Myrtenaster's tip as Weiss caught it against Neon's nun-chucks, mitigating the blow with her own dust. Rolling her revolver chamber, she struck out with lightning, forcing her opponent back. However, just as she felt satisfied at driving off Neon, the Faunus girl rounded back towards Yang. She shot off a glyph and pulled her teammate out of the way as the blonde let off another barrage of long ranged shots in the direction of their foes.

Gravity pulled at her shaking knees but she stood up and blinked the blur from her vision, making out Flynt approaching once more. Balling up a fist, she glided forwards and launched herself through the air again.

She looked down to see _four_ Flynts, all blaring at Yang from the thermal vents section. Her brain barely took note of any of those facts.

_If he wants a fight, LET'S GIVE HIM ONE!_

Closing the distance quickly, she chose at random. Swinging with harsh and well-timed blows, she knocked the hat off one of the Flynt's head, this first clone dissipated. Glowering, she launched herself at the second.

This figure dodged out of the way as the real Flynt blew her backwards, landing on her stomach. She tried to push herself up with her hands, but the rapid aura loss shot pain through her body.

The sound of footsteps brought her head up and she reached out to try and set up another propulsion glyph, but her aura did little more than flare up a little before the energy dissipated.

Flynt scoffed down at her. She couldn't even muster the energy to glare back up at him.

Blue orbs flicked to her friend, their Faunus opponent rolling circles around Yang as her blonde mane caught fire, lilac quickly fading into crimson. Taking one last look at Weiss and then the aura tracker on the large screen, Flynt turned his back to the heiress and drew in another breath.

 _DAMNIT! I'VE GOT TO DO_ _**SOMETHING** _ _!_

Somehow, Weiss brought herself to her feet again, adrenalin pumping despite the screaming protests of her muscles. Taking Myrtenaster in both hands and drawing it back over her head, she stopped only when she felt the silk of her black ribbon and her teeth clenched as she braced herself.

As the tip of her blade met the ground, the air around her swirled up quickly, scorching pain coursing through her body.

The sudden rushing of air from behind him caused the musician to turn back around in shock, bringing up an arm to block his face from the surging wind building around the heiress. Neon took note of the noise as well, only to hear the roar of rage behind her a second too late.

Her hair, her jewelry, the ends of her clothes flapped through the gall as the white-haired girl used every last bit of her energy to keep up the summon. She knew it was going to fail but she didn't care. If she could only distract them for a few seconds, give Yang an opening…

The sound of Flynt's song shot her eyes open. She brought up what little power she could into a glyph to block the attack, knowing full well that it wouldn't be enough to stop it, but hoping that this crucial moment would be still somehow enough to…

Suddenly, a large geyser between herself and the boy erupted. The steam was quickly caught up in the blast and hurtled towards Weiss. She felt her aura break as the wave crashed into her, throwing her off her feet and searing her skin.

There was no air left in her lungs for her scream.

Horrified cries of shock echoed through the colosseum. Flynt himself could only reel back in horror, turning around just to catch a glimpse of the fist that smashed into his head, sending him crashing along the ground. No sooner had the blow connected than Yang let out a pained scream.

" _ **WEISS!"**_

A trail of afterimages were chased closely by the string of fluttering petals as Blake and Ruby descended quickly down the stadium stairs and landed on the battlefield, sprinting forwards towards Weiss as Yang clutched the smaller girl in her arms, shaking her in a desperate attempt to bring her back to consciousness.

* * *

 

_Uuuuuugh. Why?! Why do I keep waking up in pain all the time?!_

Letting out a groan that was mixed with pain and self-resentment, azure eyes slowly cracked open. The harsh light of the bright room made them close again, the heiress letting out a pitiful whine as her nerves awoke on fire.

As she tried to pull herself up and guide herself automatically to their dorm's bathroom to take a nice, cold shower in, a hand came to her chest and pushed her back down. Despite her frustration at the guiding restraint, she blinked her vision back and stared up at her partner.

Ruby's face was the definition of relief, even with the clouded terror obviously present in the silver orbs. "Glad to see you're awake." She shuttered, hand trying not to reach up and grab the colored roses on her chest.

Her voice did little to disguise her worried tone.

Wincing at the clear pity evidently radiating off of her leader, her head leaned back up as blue eyes searched the room, recognizing it as one of Beacon's nursery rooms rather than their dorm.

_Oh. Right._

Plopping back down on the bed again, she let out a sigh. "Ruby, stop looking at me like that. I'm alright." She croaked out, confused by the unfamiliarly hoarse voice that left her mouth.

The cloaked girl let out a chuckle, though the heiress wasn't really sure what could possibly be funny about the situation. "Yeah, I know." Her voice low and somehow tinged with humor. "If you weren't, you would've gone-"

"-gone to a hospital out in Vale." Weiss finished for her, crossing her arms over her chest into a more comfortable position. "Is my ponytail tied?"

"Yeah. Blake made sure you still had it up when she came in here a while ago."

"…is she still here? And Yang?"

"Yeah. They're both out in the hall right now."

Weiss rolled her body back and forth a small bit. If they were all still here, there was nothing to worry about.

Leaning over, she noticed a small mirror behind Ruby. Ignoring the utter look of misery staring back at her from it, her face seemed fine, most of the burnt skin already healed (likely by her restored aura) and only a couple of bandages on what were likely more serious burns.

"So… did we win?"

"Yeah. Yang knocked both Neon and Flynt out while they were distracted. Flynt actually came by before and left you a small apology note. For what he said to you at the start of the match, apparently." She retrieved the envelope from a nearby table and handed it to Weiss for the heiress to read.

As she looked over the note, a small smile formed on her leader's lips. "You didn't tell us you could do… whatever that was, Weiss! It was incredible!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Thank Yang, then. She's the one who gave me the idea in the first place." She looked down for a second. "Hey, you're not beating yourself up over this, right?"

The words caught her partner off-guard. Ruby looked away, a frown returning to her features.

"Ruby, I'm TELLING you not to beat yourself over this."

"But I'm-"

"-not the one that was giving me orders down in the arena." She took her friend's hand in her own, despite the aching in her limbs from the sudden movement. "Nor are you at fault for me going into that battle. Tell me, if we'd left it up to you instead of voting, who would YOU have chosen to fight in the doubles round?"

The red-haired girl shuffled her shoulders sheepishly as she closed her eyes. "…y-you and Yang." She admitted.

"Exactly. And I'm not…" She tilted her head, trying to find the right word, "... _mutilated_ , so everything worked out. And…" She leaned forwards towards the room's door, "…I'd really like to see the rest of my team now, if you don't mind?"

The two whispering voices behind the wooden panel both let out yelps. After a few seconds of silence, the door creaked open, revealing her blonde and brunette teammates. The blonde's colored bandanas were tied back around her shoulder whilst Blake was still wearing her white bow on top of her head.

Giving off a warm grin, she watched as relief melted into Yang's expression. The last of her teammates, however, was looking down at her own feet, still looking utterly devastated.

It hurt to see and most of her normal embarrassment from staring at the girl she'd fallen for dissipated instantly.

So, naturally, she decided to crack a joke instead.

"Geez, Blake, if I really look that horrible, you can just come out and say it."

The Faunus girl immediately looked up, her white bow drooping despite the evident blush on her cheeks. "YOU'RE NOT- I mean, that's not why I…" Her voice failed, the words fading off into muttering as she drew her fingers together.

Weiss let out a quiet giggle, tempering down her own flustering at the girl's reaction. "Calm down. I already saw myself in the mirror and I'd say I look pretty fine, all things considered." Her lips drew down once again. "But I don't feel alright seeing you guys so upset with yourselves over a decision that _I_ made and that only affected me."

Ruby finally let her hand go and drew it back into her own lap.

Yang was the first to break the silence. "You say that, but if I could've done SOMETHING-"

"-is EXACTLY what I was thinking when I made the decision to distract Flynt, Yang."

The brawler's mouth closed.

"…you scared me."

Three pairs of eyes shot to Blake, who shuffled. "It's- I just…" Once again, her voice gave up, not bothering to resolve her teammates' confusion.

Weiss straightened herself up. "Well… I didn't mean to. But it's still my fault so… I'm sorry."

No replies.

Weiss barely stopped herself from letting out an annoyed groan, most of her physical pain losing focus as mental frustration with her team and her crush took over the forefront of her mind yet again. "What do I need to do to prove to you guys that I'm alright?"

...

When no answer came, once again, she returned to her own mind, looking for a way to convey her stable health. After thinking for a few moments, she cleared her throat, catching the attention of her teammates.

And started singing.

" _Some believe in fairy stories, and the ghosts that they can't see. I know that I could do so much, if I could just believe in me."_

Within a few seconds, smiles returned to Ruby and Yang's faces, both looking towards each other, their gazes silently agreeing that their friend was, indeed, okay.

Blake, on the other hand, only felt herself freeze.

" _Mirror, mirror, tell me something…"_

_This… this is…_

The Faunus girl moved over past her partner and leader, kneeling at the edge of the bed and taking the heiress's dainty hand as she continued the song. Droplets wetted the sheets, but no one said anything.

As Weiss finished, she brought her other hand up and rubbed the brunette's hair just below the bow, satisfied with the purr that erupted from her crush's throat.

"I know I already chastised you guys for freaking out over me, but… all the same, thank you."

Blinking away her tears, Blake nodded up to her.

Yang chuckled and shook her head. "You are just full of surprises, Princess."

Weiss looked up, contemplating for a moment. "Well, if one good thing came out of all this, at least we don't have to choose which one of us will be moving on to the next round, right Yang?"

"…right." She looked away for a moment but the lilac that returned shined bright. "Right. Leave it to me, then. I'll crush our competition for sure!"

* * *

 

**Yeesh, dialogue AND fighting?! It's like my writing nightmare! And would you believe me if I told you most of this was written in around 3 days (not consecutive)?**

**Just so you guys know, I didn't realize I accidentally made the part with their ribbons in the same way one of Dashing's Monochrome photos was (the one where Blake lends her ribbon to Weiss to tie up her ponytail); I was actually just trying to make a scene similar to the picture WCG made for my fic.**


	25. Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 3, Chapter 6, 'Fall'**

* * *

 

*knock knock*

"It's open!"

The infirmary door swung open and the blonde monkey Faunus marched in extravagantly, a large bouquet wrapped in his tail, followed closely by JNPR's leader and Weiss's fellow Atlesian, with the brunette rabbit Faunus closing the door behind them.

Despite rolling her eyes, the heiress betrayed a grin. "Looks like the pity party's here, huh? And not one but TWO blonde fools; as if Yang wasn't enough to deal with."

Jaune scratched the back of his head as Sun passed behind him to set the flowers down on one of the tables. "Is she doing okay? I heard from Ruby that she's been a bit off over the past few days."

"I suppose blaming yourself for getting someone else hurt will do that. She should be doing better, though; she only visited five times today, less than Ruby and Blake did." She glanced over at the white camellias. "For me?"

Sun gave off his signature toothy grin. "Neptune bought them. I told him to hold back but he can be like that sometimes."

Again, azure eyes rolled. "If by 'that', you mean crazy enough to electrocute you and Scarlet, then I feel just a little concerned with the gesture."

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, Team SSSN sends their regards."

"Team JNPR too." Jaune said, nodding.

"I am also glad that you are feeling healthy again, Miss Schnee!" Penny exclaimed, putting her hands together.

"Team CFVY too. Especially Yatsuhashi." Velvet's smile was nothing but warm. "From one burn victim to another, you know."

Weiss scoffed. "Well, I have to say, it feels a lot worse than it looked for him." She tried to right herself, but winced. Velvet directed her back down onto the bed again. "He has my sympathies."

There was a moment as her guests shifted themselves around, Penny moving to open the curtains a little more while Jaune answered the nurse that knocked at the door.

"So…" The monkey Faunus spoke up suddenly. "How's Blake taking it? Since you and she are all, well… you know…"

"Ugh. Shut it, Wukong."

"No, I think he's right." The other blonde leader intrigued, returning to the bedside. "I mean, I'm sure Ruby and Yang are pretty upset over it but she's…"

This time, Weiss let out a low growl. "I'm warning you, Arc."

"I would also like to know of Miss Belladonna's status in regards to your injuries." Penny chimed in.

Weiss's only response to that was an annoyed groan.

Velvet looked between each of the other guests and the patient, ears going crooked. "I'm… sorry, I feel like I'm missing something here."

Sun's obnoxious smile was back as he threw a thumb over his shoulder at the heiress. "She's just upset because everyone knows about her open 'secret' crush on Blake."

Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "Well, everyone but Blake herself. And you, apparently."

The snow-haired girl could only blow out a breath. "You know, if you guys hadn't ended up being right all along, I'd have throttled you both for saying that. At the very least, you two have the sense to keep your mouths shut, most of the time…" She glared at Penny. "Unlike SOMEONE."

The other three directed their gazes at the redhead, who looked around obliviously. She brought a finger up to her lip. "You mean Miss Xiao Long?"

Weiss gave up with an aggravated sigh. "Sure, her too."

The girl tilted her head quizzically but Sun cut in. "She IS feeling alright, right?"

Azure shifted over to his own blue. "YES, Sun. Don't think she's gonna go easy on you in the final's round."

"Oh, please!" The monkey Faunus brushed off the threat. "If anything, I'd be the one going easy on her; I bet you she'll be sorry once she sees some of my moves, huh?"

He gestured out to the rest of the room for approval, though no one responded.

"I mean, not to insult you, Sun, but Yang's kind of one of Beacon's best fighters." Velvet admitted, her posture moving into something more abashed. "You might want to practice more than just 'moves' if you want to beat her."

The Faunus boy shifted back and forth on his feet, looking slightly humbled.

"Speaking of which…" The heiress began. "Jaune?"

"Hmm?"

"Make sure your partner kicks this idiot's butt if they get into a battle together."

The blonde boy smiled. "Got it." His brows furrowed. "Wait, how did you know Pyrrha was-?"

But Weiss was already glancing over at the redhead now, whilst Sun's mouth fell open.

"You two, Penny. Make sure this wise-cracker eats his own words."

The Atlesian girl saluted. "Roger that, Miss Schnee. Adjusting subject 'Sun Wukong' within 'Allied' settings to 'Hostile Targeting'."

The boy in question's face was the definition of horrified, causing Velvet to crack up. Wiping a tear from her eye, she glanced at the clock before looking back at her friend sitting in bed. "Well, Weiss, we gotta head back now, but we hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you, Velvet."

The others started filing towards the door.

"Bye, Weiss!"

"See ya, Schnee!"

"Be well, friend!"

The heiress gave off a small wave as they left.

Settling herself again into the sheets, she closed her eyes and reminisced on how her year had gone. From the first day, she'd expected to simply devote all of her time to her studies, not really relying on anyone else to get anywhere. Yet, as the year had gone on, she'd found her rather narrow view expanded by so many wonderful people, having made so many great friends along the way, even if they were sometimes a pain to deal with. People to assist her whenever she fell short, people to help her unwind when she was feeling too stressed, people who cared about her and that she cared about in return…

As she drifted off again, another smile tugged at her lips.

_I'll never regret coming here._

* * *

 

"Weiss, are you sure you're alright coming here?"

Despite the bright blush on her cheeks, the heiress huffed. "YES, Blake, I'm sure. I'm not going to miss Yang's first match just because of some sore muscles." She ran a hand through ivory strands, feeling the black bow before tracing down the golden and red ones.

_You guys mean so much to me, after all._

Though the cheering of the crowd was still a pain, Team RWBY (sans Yang) moved quickly into their row in the audience.

As Weiss reached her seat next to Blake, she dusted off the spot before sitting down, relieved at the lack of sharp responses from her nerves. She spared a glance at her Faunus friend as the brunette turned to ask Ruby something.

… _plus, I get to spend more time with you._

_Geez, how rude was that? Come on, Weiss, you're here to support Yang!_

"Look! Here she comes!" Her leader suddenly yelled. Jumping up, she cheered at the top of her lungs. "GO YAAANG!"

The monochromatic duo gave a more muted, but no less enthusiastic, response than the younger sister.

Yang stepped out into the arena with about a dozen other students in tow, Pyrrha, Penny and Sun included. She seemed to shine brightly, brimming with excitement as she waved up to her team.

Over the loudspeaker, Professor Oobleck rattled off the list of contestants and gave a quick rundown of the match rules before the randomization process started up. Yang's picture rolled up on the screen with a black-haired boy on the other called 'Mercury Black'.

The instant her sister's face came up on the screen, Ruby practically screamed above the roar of the crowd. "GOOO SIS! BREAK A LEG!"

Blake's ears only twisted slightly at the shrill shout, but she kept up her smile nonetheless. It was her partner's first match in the finals and Ruby's relentless pride towards her sister was absolutely adorable.

She squinted to get a better look at this Mercury kid. The name rang a bell. She was pretty sure that was the kid who fought Pyrrha at some point before the dance. It was a blur, though; she WAS pretty tired at the time. Indeed, she was only half-sure that he had forfeited his match.

_Well, if he wants to do well against Yang, he better have stepped up his game._

"Honestly, I can't wait until Yang fights Pyrrha." Ruby was almost shaking, though no longer absorbed in the match knowing Yang would crush her opponent. "THAT will be the match of the century. A real clash of the titans. A true-"

"She's something else, isn't she?" Blake laughed, cutting off her leader.

Suddenly, two confused glances came over her, causing her shoulders to bunch up. "What? I can't compliment my partner?" She murmured, shuffling in her spot.

Weiss blinked, her vision shifting to her blonde teammate as the girl pushed away a kick from her opponent. She hummed slightly.

"Yeah. I guess she is."

Blake's white bow shifted and her eyes shot open.

"Like, she really does do more than we give her credit for, huh?" The heiress continued, a small smirk encroaching on her features. "I mean, sure, she's always being a pain and giving us a hard time for…" She spared a gaze at Blake, "…well, she just gives us a hard time sometimes, right? But she always looks out for us despite that."

Her smile grew.

"She tries her best and gives us encouragement and always picks us up when we're down, even when we don't wanna admit something's wrong."

Her partner let out a chuckle. "Yeah, that's always been Yang, alright. A bit rough around the edges but looking out for the best in us." She rubbed her shoulder. "Still haven't healed those bruises from when she used to smack me in the shoulder, though."

The white-haired girl threw her an amused glance. "Is that why you were elbowing her in the side?"

Her leader pursed her lips and looked away. " _MAYBE_ …"

The three turned back to the fight when they heard a loud explosion, followed by the boy Yang was fighting flying back and rolling over several times on the ground, his aura shattering.

_Woah, he's already down? That couldn't have been more than two minutes…_

Nonetheless, Blake stood up and clapped alongside Weiss as Ruby let out a long string of cheers.

Weiss couldn't help but feel proud of the brawler. After all she'd been through, Yang had been there for her, so she was going to be there for her during her greatest moments.

...

And then something happened.

The heiress only saw the faint shift in her friend's expression, as though a thought had passed through the blonde's mind as she turned back towards her defeated foe. The boy stuck out his hand, pride clearly beaten but his face relaxed and accepting of his defeat.

There was little way that Weiss could have described what happened next, simply because her mind couldn't comprehend them. Or maybe it just never wanted to think about it again.

There Yang stood, surrounded by guards, all shouting at her to stand down. Her opponent lay in pain on the ground, clutching a leg bent slightly out of place. Her expression, as her confused shouting faded, morphed slowly into one of shock.

And her team could do nothing but stare back in horror.

* * *

 

**Originally, I wasn't even going to do this chapter and skip straight to Chapter 8, but the scene at the beginning just popped into my head after finishing last chapter (which originally wasn't even going to have the infirmary scene). I really just wanted to show how Weiss had improved her inter-team friendships; the second scene was more because I didn't want to just skip over the important moment in this episode as though it was nothing.**

**Next chapter is the big one. Not the last big one, obviously, but a big one nonetheless. Stay tuned. ;)**

 


	26. Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Well, this is definitely going to be one of the hardest chapters I'll had to write. *sigh* And the worst part is: I'm sure some of the next ones will be even harder.**

***inhale* *exhale* Okay. Let's do this.**

**Skipping Chapter 7 because ~there ain't no chapter for the wicked~ and this chapter will be for BOTH Chapters 8 and 9 since Chapter 9 doesn't have much to offer me in terms of altering the story.**

**Volume 3, Chapter 8, 'Destiny'**

* * *

The dorm hallway was silent, save for the tapping of General Ironwood's feet as he paced back and forth through the center of Team RWBY's dorm room. None of the four girls spoke, each staring down at their own feet.

Ruby was latched to her sister's arm, unwilling to let go since she'd reached her after the match. Her cheeks were still wet and her hair had become disheveled; she looked absolutely miserable.

Not as miserable as her sister, of course.

The blonde had barely moved, barely breathed since she'd plopped down on the heiress's bed. Lilac eyes that were once so full of life and joy seemed empty now, nothing able to break through the clouds of confusion and pain evident within them.

Though Yang said nothing, her thoughts seemed to radiate off of her like her semblance.

_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him. I don't know what happened._

Across from the sisters sat their partners. Blake's stone expression didn't betray her thoughts, as usual. Her mind, however, couldn't possibly piece together what was going on, or at least it couldn't do so without drawing into darker times.

She searched through her memories over the year with the blonde. All the jokes they shared, all the times they'd fought together. All of that… that had to mean something.

_Something more than hurting an innocent kid?_

And finally, Weiss. Unlike her teammates, her face was crutched up with annoyance.

_General Ironwood is reasonable; Winter is always happy to work for him, after all. He should be able to see Yang's side of the story._

"…so it is, with great pain, that I must inform you that you've been disqualified from the tournament."

_So why not now?!_

Yang barely flinched at the words, only bowing her head lower to signify she'd heard them. Ruby's hold on the brawler's arm tightened.

Looking around for only a moment longer, the general sighed and moved towards the door. He stopped at the frame, straying a look back and leaving when none of them bothered to move.

…

"…you guys believe me, right?"

The voice that squeaked out was heart-wrenching; it wasn't something that the others thought possible from their boisterous blonde friend.

"Duh!"

Her sister's words came without a pause as she pushed away a golden lock that had fallen over her elder sister's forehead.

The simmering anger in the heiress's expression had already faded, quickly replaced with worry. "We know you better than that, Yang."

Silence encompassed the room once more, as three gazes turned to the only occupant of the room that had yet to speak.

Amber peered up slowly, still shielding the Faunus's thoughts from the rest of her team. She took a second, looking back into the three pairs of inquiring looks, carefully choosing her words.

"I… I don't know if I-"

Her words vanished at the clattering of heels against the ground. Turning slowly, eyes tracing up the slender form until they met their opposite. Azure, shimmering with shock and betrayal that seemed more fit for the blonde girl sitting across from her.

"How could you say that, Blake?!"

"Weiss, it isn't-"

"You're really telling me that the girl you were praising only an hour ago could be lying about this? You think you actually know what was going through her mind at the time?"

"Do you?"

"I'm sure I have a better idea than what you would suggest."

The brunette's hair bristled. "You can't just-"

"Look at this, Blake."

The girl in question froze, her words caught in her throat. Weiss was stringing her hand through her ponytail, lacing yellow fabric between her fingers.

"These might just be pieces of cloth, but we wear them because of what they MEAN. I know it can be easier or safer to just acknowledge that Yang could've done something wrong and that she might end up doing something else down the line, but we're a team! We have to put our trust in each other, to trust our backs to others because we care about them just as they care about us!"

Blake curled into herself, trying not to shake too hard as her eyes glossed. Her breaths came out in small shudders before she started again, her voice coming out as a small warble.

"Y-you're right. I'm… sorry, Yang. I shouldn't have said that."

Her partner wiped a small tear from the corner of her eye, offering a small smile despite the cloudiness still present in the lilac.

"I just… I haven't always had the best experience with trusting others. Back when I was in the White Fang, I-" She stopped for a second before continuing, though her murmurs became more strained, "I knew someone, somebody that I held very dearly, that took a similar path. He always said that he was doing the right thing, that everyone else was in the wrong."

A dry laugh escaped her throat, ragged and forced. "Boy, do I feel stupid for overlooking it for so long. His words never matched what he claimed. He never gave me proof that he was following what he preached."

Finally, she returned her friend's gaze again. "But you AREN'T him. You've done nothing else that should make me believe that you're going to follow the same path he did. It was stupid of me to compare you two and I don't know how I can apologize for that."

As her voice faded once again, the pitch cracked. The white bow laid flat atop her head.

Slowly, Yang rose to her feet, Ruby's grip finally falling away. Crossing the same distance between them, she brought her hands around the brunette and drew her into a light hug. After a few seconds, Blake's hands drew up around her friend and returned it.

Only a few feet away, Weiss's mind was whirling.

_Wait, but that's… she told me about that… his name was Adam, wasn't it? Back when she…_

Images from earlier in the year flooded into her thoughts. She watched as the girl she'd come to fall for broke down in front of her, trying and failing to maintain her composure as she relayed broken words about an almost fairytale-like betrayal. About a man who cared little for his morals and nothing for the lives that he felt stood in the ways of his goals.

Even as her mind sang for Yang's innocence, guilt clutched her heart.

' _How could you say that, Blake?!"_

 _No. How could_ _**I** _ _say that?_

… _I should have known better._

Her arms immediately shot to her head.

_WHY CAN'T I EVER DO THIS RIGH-_

"Guys? Can you… give me some space for a little bit? I got a lot on my mind."

Yang's words cut through her plight.

_-no, now's not the time for this._

"Sure, sis." Their leader agreed, moving to draw herself around her elder sibling one last time. Weiss quickly followed, ruffling the back of the blonde's mane as the brawler sniffled, shifting the wrapped ponytail back over her teammate's shoulder.

As Weiss kept the embrace closed, glazed amber eyes peered over Yang's shoulder, tracing along silver and golden strands with a lack of focus.

* * *

Somehow, the air in the hallway seemed even tenser than it had been back in their dorm room.

Ruby shifted as she watched her two remaining teammates avoid each other's gazes over her shoulder. Before, their lack of cohesion was somewhat frustrating, but after the whole charade just before, the situation was practically suffocating.

Not just because it was frustrating, but because she knew it didn't have to be this way.

At the very least, Pyrrha had seemed excited about her match.

…kinda.

_I mean, if Jaune's that confident in her, she should be totally fine._

As their leader mused over their allies' team, the heiress and the Faunus followed behind her, walking side by side but keeping their gazes fixed on the hallway ahead of them.

Lightning shot through the brunette's hand as nails carefully stroked against them.

"Blake, can we talk?"

Weiss was trying her hardest to keep her complexion pale, while Blake herself calmed her voice so that it rolled off her tongue with ease.

"Sure. …i-if you want."

Well, _relative_ ease.

If the heiress held any confusion over the awkward wording, it didn't show in her expression. "Listen. I just… I shouldn't have said that before. It wasn't right."

"Weiss-"

"STOP. You told me about Adam already. You entrusted me with something personal and I have a responsibility as your teammate, your friend, and someone who cares deeply about you to hold you high because of that trust. So… umm… what I'm trying to say is this: Let me make it up to you."

An eyebrow rose.

"Let's go get something to drink together. Out in Vale. My treat, okay?"

And its twin jumped up to meet it.

_Something to drink TOGETHER? Out in Vale? It's… that's… that's practically a-_

"Y-you mean, like, a date?"

Weiss's words came out with as much grace as one would expect from a completely flustered teenager. "I-I mean, s-sure. If…" She lifted her head despite her glowing blush. "If you want to think of it that way, then yes. A… date."

Somehow, she managed to suppress the squeak that climbed her throat as her fingers were taken by a sturdy hand.

Blake enjoyed the feeling of being able to smile naturally. "That sounds nice." She hummed. "After everything else today."

* * *

Despite being so close to the school and the tournament, the café wasn't as crowded as they'd expected. Maybe everyone was just heading to the arena to see the next match in person. Maybe it was the fact that the sun was setting soon. Maybe it was just the size of Vale itself. Or perhaps some combination of the three.

Whatever it was, it was certainly keeping Weiss's mind off of the fact that she was on a DATE with her crush. Because any stray thought into that territory could easily end in her spilling her coffee all over herself and ruining her evening.

And this was not an evening she could afford to ruin.

…okay, so maybe she HAD to think about that particular fact if this was going to work.

Cupping her mug between her hands, she spared one last glance at Blake. The girl was sitting just to her right at the bar, sipping her latte, her eyes fluttering closed as she let the drink overtake her senses. The heiress bit her lip, rubbing the ceramic of her own cup.

The Faunus girl set her drink back down on the counter, stringing her fingers back through her hair and tugging at the small black bow tied on the ponytail behind her head. Her feline ears only moved slightly under their wrapping at the sound of the heiress's breaths becoming deeper.

She stared down at her reflection in her drink, looking into the sharp eyes staring back at her. One glance at the white ribbon atop her head. Then back to the burning amber.

She let darkness overtake her sight once more.

"Listen, Weiss…"

"BLAKE, I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU."

…

_Well, that went better than I expected._

Words failed to form in her throat as the brunette looked on, paralyzed and mouth gaping as she watched her white-haired teammate slowly collapse into herself, somehow holding herself up on the stool with impressive posture for someone who looked ready to shatter into a million pieces.

One of the nice things about the bar being so empty was that Weiss wasn't embarrassing herself in front of _too_ many people.

_Just the one that matters the most._

"I… no, there's no 'think'. I'm _definitely_ in love with you. I- I don't know how to tell you this but ever since… since the dance, at the very latest, my thoughts about you have been… of the romantic kind."

_I'm screwing this up. I'm DEFINITELY screwing this up._

"Whether I'm looking up at you from in your arms or holding you in my arms, I… I don't know what I want from 'us', but I do know that I want to be _with_ you."

Finally, she managed to lift her head and look at the brunette.

The amber staring back at her was filled with surprise, though what kind, she wasn't skilled enough to decipher. As Blake sat in total shock, Weiss drew in another lung-full of breath as she realized that the girl in front of her wasn't going to respond quite yet.

"I… can't say I know what it is, or rather, I can't name what it started with. Forgive me for saying this, but it might have been your ears. I know it doesn't sound right, but I think they're cute- no, beautiful. I…"

Her voice faded again, hands settling in her lap as she tried to keep her face from catching fire.

"-YOU'RE beautiful, Blake."

The static filling the brunette's brain lifted at the sharp pang she felt in her chest.

_The last time I heard that was…_

But as harsh memories tried to take hold, a shimmering broke through. The shimmering of the blue eyes looking at her. Completely and utterly embarrassed, but sincere and so full of hope. More than glowing; they SHONE.

_Is this really the spoiled heiress I met on my first day at Beacon?_

"…so, that's it. I wanted to tell you because I felt I owed it to you to let you know. I'm sorry if I-mmMM?!"

Blake didn't give her a chance to finish as a pair of lips caught hers.

It was messy.

And wet.

And of the two, Weiss clearly didn't know what she was doing.

But when they broke apart, their foreheads meeting as they caught their breath and their eyes met again, there was no more fear. No more bad memories or regrets or worry of what's to come or pain in either of their expressions.

The confused looks they got from other patrons was blocked out. The cheering on the television as the next match was selected mattered little.

For now, it was just the two of them. And the bond between them.

And they closed the distance once more.

* * *

Halfway through their third kiss, Blake started purring quietly.

It was an odd sensation, but the vibration made Weiss feel lightheaded. She hummed lightly, almost trying to mimic the sound as her hand drew back around Blake's neck. The brunette responded in kind, sliding her hand down and ready to lift the heiress up closer to her.

"Uh, excuse me, ladies."

The two girls broke apart in surprise and looked up at the barista. The young man didn't look disgusted, but rather gestured towards a small sign reading "No Excessive Public Displays of Affection".

"I'm afraid I have to ask you to take this outside."

…

"Well, I guess it is much nicer out here in the breeze."

"Yeah, less, uh, hot."

Weiss looked out at the distant lights of the city. She sighed as the wind picked up her silvery strands, dancing through the air as the colored ribbons flapped lightly.

She turned her head upwards. "Say, Blake?"

"Hmmm?"

"You think they'll be upset with us sitting on their roof?"

"Well, the guy said 'outside', didn't he?"

Blue eyes rolled. "You're something else."

A small smirk broke across the Faunus girl's face. "Am I now? I hope I'm more enjoyable than whatever this original 'something' was."

For a second, Weiss focused on nothing in particular, looking back out towards the taller skyscrapers in Vale's business sector. After it had passed, she settled into Blake's neck, taking a bit of satisfaction in knowing that the heat she felt on the girl's skin was because of her.

"Definitely."

A few more seconds passed, the only noise above the low wind coming from the lowered sound of Pyrrha and Penny's battle on Blake's scroll.

The heiress closed her eyes as she felt her girlfriend curl around her, raven locks sliding along the side of her face. "We should take this slow, Weiss."

"R-right. Slow…"

…

"Hey Blake?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you… think I could practice with Gambol Shroud?"

"…any specific reason why?"

"Well, it's just… I always thought that your cleaver was really cool and all. I wanted to learn how to use a katana and, well… never mind. It's stupid."

Her cheeks burned as Blake let out a light chuckle. "I suppose that's fine. We could swap weapons during the next break so that we have something t-"

Her words were cut off when the horrible sound of metal creaking assaulted her upper ears. The pained sound that escaped her throat caused Weiss to look up, just in time catch a glimpse of Penny as the Atlesian girl's limbs were torn from her body, revealing a mess of wires and cables.

Neither girl could find the words to speak as a large chess piece appeared on the screen and a voice (a rather familiar voice, one that they had heard from one of their colleagues) overtook the intercom.

"This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our Kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?"

As the screen faded to black, Weiss felt the grip around her loosen as Blake took to her feet.

"Well, that was the most disjointed and misleading speech I've ever heard."

The heiress shifted her arms down, pushing herself onto her knees. "Do you think millions of panicking civilians realized that?"

As the Faunus girl leaned out over the small wall on top of the café, her ears flicked. Off in the distance, she could already hear terrified screams and the roars of enraged Grimm.

Amber flickered closed.

"No, I don't."

* * *

**MONOCHROME DATE RUINED!**

… **AGAIN!**

**Goodness. The confession chapter. And the kisses. SO hard to write, so much doubt that it would be readable. Hope it wasn't too bad.**

**Or too satisfying. Remember, we still have a few more chapters to go.**

**;)**


	27. Battle of Beacon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**(I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING ANYMORE. SOMEBODY STOP ME. I'M SLIGHTLY EXAGGERATING BUT THE END IS APPROACHING IN A FEW CHAPTERS AND I'M JUST-)**

…

… **I may need a short break after I finish this story. I have more (shorter) works planned but I really just need to take a step back and take a break for a bit.**

**Anyway, let us continue.**

**Volume 3, Chapter 10, 'Battle of Beacon'**

* * *

 

"Hello? Blake? You there?"

The blonde's breath was short as she sprinted through the dorm halls, Zwei wrapped under her arm.

"Sorry, Yang. KINDA busy at the moment."

Busy was an understatement. She pulled back her blade from the Griffon in front of her as she stepped back onto the glyph forming behind her, propelling herself above the creature and bisecting it before landing hard and searching for a new target.

Her girlfriend blocked a charge from a Beowulf, pushing it back with a glyph and throwing out her fingers. Without even looking, she twirled her wrist, knocking over a Boarbatusk with her semblance that was charging at the Faunus girl, who shot up with a clone and jumped off yet another summoned platform to gut the creature in the stomach.

Turning her attention back to the beast roaring at her through her shield, Myrtenaster swung upwards and the heiress knocked it back, striking out with diligence as Blake took up her rear and distracted another Griffon sneaking towards the white-haired girl with a fire clone.

The area was swarming with Grimm but the pair cleared out a path, pushing through the ruined tents. Finally, they reached a somewhat secluded tent, Weiss launching out a wall of ice to protect the shrieking civilians from the madness outside.

As a few poor souls retreated further into the shelter, one woman let out a scream as a Beowulf crept out from behind a stack of food crates. The monster was barely able to let out a roar before it put up its hands to protect itself from several pistol shots. A pained howl followed as blasts of fire dust sent it stumbling and it let out one final whimper as Gambol Shroud embedded itself in the beast's skull.

Extracting her cleaver from the dissipating mass, Blake brought the scroll back up to her ear. "Sorry about that, Yang. You heard the speech, right?"

"Yep. It was _definitely_ from that foreign chick who was always skulking around our battle classes." The Faunus girl could hear her partner's tone grow coarse with anger. "She was Mercury's teammate, right? I swear, if I ever get my hands on him again, I'll make sure his legs are the only thing I DON'T break."

Blake closed her eyes and pinched the nose of her bridge. So much was going on right now, it was hard to focus.

"Yang, listen, I'm sorry I-"

"Forget it, Blake. It's not something we should be worrying about right now. Look," There was a short pause. "Are Ruby and Weiss with you right now?"

"Weiss is. I'm pretty sure Ruby's still at the arena, though."

"Alright. Where are you two right now?"

"At the fairgrounds."

"Then meet me at the CCT Tower in a few minutes. The three of us can go look for her. I'd expect that she'd be at the doc-"

Suddenly, a loud noise sent the signal scrambling. Blake's bow flattened against her head, her expression wincing at Zwei's sudden barking on the other side of the line.

"Yang? YANG?! Are you alright?!"

A quick sputtering of coughs made the brunette hold her breath.

"Yeah, I'm good."

The reply, despite the audible rasp, let her exhale. "What was that?"

"I don't know. The side of the building just- SHIT!"

Gunfire broke out, lighting up Blake's nerves as she tried to keep a grip on the scroll, not sure how much longer she could stand panicking.

Weiss, having had time to check their structure's integrity and calm down the terrified civilians, ran up to her girlfriend and grabbed her hand in her own, lifting the other girl's chin and focusing the pair of golden eyes on her own in an effort to calm the Faunus.

Blake's mind only had a second of respite as she heard the blonde's voice again. "Uh, I think some of your old friends want to say hi."

It took a moment for her brain to catch up, but when it did, she squeezed her teammate's hand as hard as she could, her body tensing up and her eyes squeezing shut.

_The White Fang._

_I just can't get away from my past, can I?_

"Blake, you still there?"

Her partner's words brought her back to the present. She bit back tears and shifted her gaze back to the heiress, whose face was wrought with concern. "I'm here, Yang." She managed to choke out.

"Same plan as before. Meet me at the CCT Tower. Be on the lookout for my little sis, just in case, and help out anyone you see along the way. Got it?"

It took a moment for her to find her voice again. "Got it."

"Good. ALRIGHT, YOU BASTARDS! COME GET SOME!" The brawler suddenly roared, her semblance easy to hear in her shouts as Zwei backed her up with a few enthusiastic barks of his own.

The brunette's arm fell to her side, her grip only just keeping the device from falling to the ground. After a few seconds, she brought Weiss's hands up with the one being clasped, kissing the other girl's knuckles.

The heiress, for her part, managed to hold back a sigh of relief. Lovers or not, she couldn't stand to see Blake in so much pain, so if there was anything she could do to calm her, it would definitely help both of them. She stood up on her toes and smacked a small peck on Blake's forehead, smiling at the larger girl before the duo turned back towards the entrance of the shelter.

 

* * *

 

By the time they arrived at the docks, the area was a scene of an all-out war. Airships were landing all across the opening fields in front of the cliff-side, Faunus in Grimm masks pouring out while Atlesian robotic soldiers were dropping in from the sky.

Blake closed her eyes and gritted her teeth before charging off, throwing her sword's kusarigama out and wrapping it around the closest White Fang member to them, the woman sputtering in confusion as the gun suddenly blasted around her and hooked the ribbon to trap her. A swift kick knocked the girl to the grass and the brunette bolted past with the heiress in tow.

A small group turned from their shoot-out with the androids and aimed at their former comrade, but Blake launched herself upwards, leaving behind a fire clone that blew several men off their feet. Weiss shot off with a glyph under her and swung wide, knocking over several more before parrying another woman with a spear.

A large column of ice strung out through the ranks, Blake sliding down one side while Weiss took the other. The two girls moved so fast that mere seconds later, dozens of their opponents were lying on the field, groaning in confusion as the two carried on undaunted.

Running up to the robotic soldiers, marked with the emblem of her home nation, Weiss let out a smile. It dropped immediately as the machines turned around, their faces lighting up red and aiming their guns at the two.

Blake could only let out a yelp as the entire weight of the small heiress's body crashed into her side, sending them both down as a chunk of ice took the brunt of the shots fired at them. Pushing herself up, she grasped Weiss's hand for a second before peaking up over the ice, ducking again as several more volleys passed over her head.

…

_Please get here faster, Yang!_

Throwing her hair over her shoulder, glossy strands of cloth ghosting over her face, the heiress swung out again, knocking over several more soldiers with a glyph as Blake sprinted through the converging ranks of Atlesian Knights and White Fang members, cleaving metal legs apart and knocking over anything with an aura in reach. A group of gunners went flying into the air before being pulled back down by a large, blue glyph.

A short shriek escaped Weiss's lips as she felt her feet left the stone path, only to silence herself when she looked up to see Blake's face, sown with concentration. Wrapped in her swinging girlfriend's arms, she allowed a glance back to see the startling image of a massive Paladin, the ground around its fist cracked in the space she'd just been moments ago.

As they dropped back down and separated, ready to pounce back in, a massive explosion sent flaming debris shooting past them. They ducked, their closest opponents sent flying back.

The two looked up at Beacon's cafeteria as it was quickly consumed by an inferno. The howling of the blaze and crackling of embers did little to drown out the horrified screams of citizens inside.

The brunette immediately took a step forward towards the building, only stopping as she felt a dainty hand grasp hers, looking behind herself into blue pools filled with concern.

Their gazes held before Weiss's eyes shut.

_It's about standing at the front lines of humanity's struggle for survive. It's about being able to sacrifice everything you love to help others._

_Now we have a duty to do; no matter what brought us here, we have a job that goes beyond everything else._

Grabbing Blake's arm with her other hand, she brought their lips together in a light kiss. It only lasted a moment, the white-haired Atlesian pulling back and nodding.

"Go. But… be careful."

The fingers curled around hers squeezed hard. "Of course. Everything will be alright. I promise."

And just like that, the raven-haired girl disappeared, a clone fading as Weiss's arm fell back to her side.

Turning back towards the crowd of staggering soldiers, Myrtenaster's tip struck into the stone tiles below her, smoke and ash swirling around the heiress as she bit back a cry of pain, her muscles tensing as power coursed through her body.

"Gotta think faster than that, Schnee!"

A loud trumpet blast faltered the snow-haired girl's concentration, her gaze lifting to see a shockwave knock down several more terrorists charging at her with swords. She only barely registered the words as aimed towards herself when a hand smacked her shoulder, the girl only seeing a burst of rainbow light before recognizing her saviors.

Flynt stopped next to her, offering her a hand up as the familiar crack of Neon's weapon preceded several cries of shock. Azure eyes swept over the row of immobilized opponents in front of her, each bashing at their now ice-encased feet with their blunt weapons.

The familiar battle-cries of JNPR, SSSN and CFVY passing by sent her blood pumping. Weiss let a confident smile split across her face before running forwards after her companions, back into the fray.

 

* * *

 

Sliding down loose rubble into the smoke-filled hallway, Blake pivoted her head back and forth, searching for anyone trapped under debris or lying on the ground. With no one in sight, she sprinted quickly down the path, skirting upside-down tables and shattered pillars before reaching the outside of the dining hall.

The Faunus peered through the inner window, narrowing her amber eyes to try and see through the glare of the glass.

And all at once, her blood ran cold.

There, standing in the middle of the cafeteria, where she had shared so many great memories with the friends she'd made over the past year, was the source of far too much of the part of her life that she'd spent entwined in the violent fate of the White Fang.

_Adam._

Though he was facing away from her, he looked up, as though he'd heard her thoughts. She pulled back against the wall, only allowing a glimpse to see that nothing of him had changed since she'd last seen him a year ago. His horns, his tinted hair, his mask, the rose on the back of his coat.

His posture made it clear he knew she was there. And who she was. There would be little point in running now.

Despite his threatening presence, he didn't move from his spot. Unfortunately, that meant she _had_ to make the first move or risk getting ambushed when she turned her back.

All those years he'd spent training her. All useless in these circumstances; it was just too predictable to try anything outside of what she'd learned at Beacon.

She should have stayed with Weiss; if putting the Schnee Heiress, HER GIRLFRIEND, in the proximity of the man most likely to skewer her through on the spot meant standing a chance against him, meant having just a few more tricks up her sleeve, she would've gladly taken that risk.

As things were, however, the young Faunus girl would have to do this on her own.

Creeping up to the edge of the entranceway, she shot through and hooked a strike right with the posture of a feint before actually following through with the slash.

A sadly-familiar screech of Gambol Shroud striking Wilt filled the air.

Blake yanked her cleaver back above her head, pulling the sheathed katana straight down and lunging forward again.

All she met was air.

She brought up her sheath to block the kick that slammed into her right, the force rattling her aura. Tumbling, her hands met the ground and she managed to flip and land on her feet, launching to the side to avoid a blast from Adam's shotgun that shattered the stone clone she'd left behind.

Barely three strikes in and she was already starting to sweat.

Pulling back Gambol Shroud's blade into its pistol form, she fired off several rounds as she sprinted around the larger man. Each shot glanced of the red blade he'd brought up, deflecting the bullets almost automatically.

Gritting her teeth, Blake jumped atop one of the intact tables and threw out her bladed pistol, only to find her opponent's previous location vacant.

The telltale sound of Wilt leaving Blush was barely a warning as the structure below her buckled as its supports gave. She flipped into the air, lunging back down with another clone and trying for a direct strike.

Her cleaver scaled down the length of Adam's weapon. A sharp knee to the face once more sent her to the floor.

As she lifted herself onto her elbows, pain shot down her spine as a heel came down hard on her back. The wind left her lungs and the sound that left her throat was somewhere between a choke and a cry.

"So, you went to a huntsman school. Is that what you wanted to become? Another tool for humanity to keep itself intact as it continues to chain us down?" His tone were filled with savage hatred, his wording chosen to inspire doubt and anger, just as she remembered. Blake sucked in a breath, trying to keep her fingers from curling as the pressure on her back increased, Adam's foot swerving back and forth to dig deeper into her skin.

All she had to do was focus. Focus and not let him get to her.

_And not pass out from the pain! DAMMIT!_

* * *

 

**(ALSO, DID I MENTION THAT ADAM IS REALLY HARD TO WRITE FOR? BECAUSE ADAM IS REALLY HARD TO WRITE FOR.)**

 


	28. Heroes and Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Remember how I said before that we’d reach a point where you should start assuming that canon things that aren’t being mentioned in this fic are now up to interpretation? Well, that was actually a few chapters back and I kept forgetting to mention it.**

**…sorry.**

**_Three more chapters, folks._ **

**Also, just a heads up, this chapter’s going to get a bit bloody. And for those of you that have issues with descriptive panic attacks, you might wanna be wary as well. Don’t want to spoil anything, whether you’re expecting it or not, but I’d rather not get in trouble because I didn’t give anyone a heads up.**

**Not gonna change the rating because the show doesn’t go much harsher but I will put up a few warnings on AO3’s tags, just in case.**

**Volume 3, Chapter 11, ‘Heroes and Monsters'**

 

* * *

 

It must have been by the brothers’ intervention that the Atlesian army had shut down; that, or the giant ship that had just fell out of the sky. Weiss couldn’t be bothered to figure out which as she fell to her knees. The only thing that kept the rest of her body from following was the hand that shot to her shoulder.

The heiress’s gaze came up to meet soft brown eyes looking back. Velvet wore a grateful smile as she wrapped her arms around her, murmuring words of gratitude.

_Huh. So this is what it feels like to be useful._

Really, SHE was the one who should be thanking the rabbit Faunus. Never before had she followed through with such a powerful summoning than she had defending the brown-haired girl, the adrenaline brought out by her friend’s peril more than enough to push through the searing pain that had always locked up her movements or forced her to give in. But now that rush was fading and her muscles screamed once more, begging for her to just lay down on the ground and sink into the rising abyss.

“WEISS!”

The sound of her teammate’s voice broke her from her… slumber? How long had it been? It felt like moments…

Her brain fought off her body’s protests. Slowly, she found her footing with the help of Velvet, who transferred her over to Yang’s embrace as the larger girl hugged her.

“Weiss! I’m so glad I found you! Have you seen Ruby yet?”

“No…” The word left her lips with a much heavier droll than she’d been expecting. Attempting to rouse herself, she shook her head back and forth. “S-sorry. We didn’t see her on our way here.”

The blonde looked past her towards the other students, who were now gathering in a small circle and taking stock of injuries. Her brows furrowed. “Wait, where’s Blake?”

THAT got the heiress’s heart pumping again. She attempted to push away from the brawler’s grasp, moving out an arm to point in the direction the brunette had gone, only to be squeezed back.

“Oh NO you don’t.” Yang’s voice took on the ‘Big Sister’ tone she used on Ruby occasionally. Somehow, it frustrated Weiss in the same way her own older sibling sometimes ordered her around. “You look absolutely exhausted. Just tell me which way she went.”

“She…” The snow-haired girl, evidently not having learned her lesson, tried to take a step back, only for her legs to buckle. She let out a squeak as Yang’s arm shot to her waist, stabilizing her. Closing her eyes and exhaling an annoyed huff, she continued. “She went off towards the cafeteria building. A fire… explosion… she might still be rescuing civilians.”

The blonde nodded. “Okay. Come here; let’s settle you down so you can take a well-deserved rest.”

“ _Yang._ ”

“Come ON, Weiss! Now’s not the time to be difficult! You’re in no condition to fight and we HAVE to find her!” Her face quickly started to screw up, clearly not wanting to deal with the heiress’s usual stubbornness at a time like this. “Just because you’re crushing on her doesn’t mean-“

“She’s my _girlfriend_ now, Yang.”

The brawler's voice came to a halt. She looked down at her white-haired teammate sitting below her, searching her face for a second and closing her eyes. After a moment of silence, she sighed and opened them again. “Well, you guys sure picked a terrible time for that.” There was a hint of humor in her voice as her lips curled upwards. “I’ll be sure to give you guys an earful the next time you go and do something big like that while I’m, you know, having the worst day of my life.”

Azure disappeared for a second. Weiss opened her mouth to say something but it came out as a frustrated whining noise.

“Look, you can tell me all about it when I bring her back. If I don’t get the whole story out of her on the way back, that is.” Yang chuckled.

Lilac moved up towards the other teams. “If you guys see Ruby, let her know I’ll be back soon.”

Sun gave a thumbs up as he flashed a small smile.

The brawler’s gaze ghosted over the students again, her expression questioning before shrugging her shoulders; whoever she was looking for clearly wasn’t of major concern at the moment. As she got up to take off running, however, a surprisingly strong grip caught her.

“Weiss, this isn’t-!”

“ _YANG._ ”

The recognizable Ice Queen-tone stopped Yang in her tracks. Glancing back down, she locked eyes with the fierce, icy glare; however, where she expected drowsiness, she saw only rage.

The two simply stared at each other for a second, red bleeding into the blonde’s eyes before she moved a hand to rub her temple. “FINE.” She gritted out. “But you better not slow me down.”

That was all the encouragement Weiss needed. The ache of tired limbs was not enough to keep her from bolting after her teammate, the promise of reuniting with her lover safely in her arms being enough to push aside the darkness attempting to cloud her head.

 

* * *

 

To be fair, Blake had held her scream in for far longer than she’d expected.

Fingers tore at the floor, trying to find something solid to grab despite her mind knowing that such an object was nowhere within reach. Another pained shriek erupted from her throat as Adam’s foot slammed down on her back again, her throat burning as it desperately sought out air that couldn’t come quick enough.

“Did you really think I’d hold back simply because we’ve bonded over the years?” The words hurt (not as much as the kicking, obviously), but her mind cared little for them after everything she’d experienced under his wing. “No. A traitor to our cause deserves no mercy.”

Another strike hit her shoulder and she winced as she felt her aura slipping away, biting down hard on her lip as she fought the urge to just wail; pointless, as it would only inspire Adam to hit hard enough to break bone. Tears filled the corners of her eyes but she refused to give him the satisfaction of releasing them.

“Y-you’re… disgraceful…” This time, a choke followed the blow, little oxygen left to make anything louder. She flinched as she felt his breath howl down on her ear, her face contorting as he pulled her head up by her bow, tugging painfully on her ears.

“You clearly don’t understand how long I’ve fought for our freedom. No amount of chivalrous claims will wipe away humanity’s desecration of our people.” An unhindered growl enveloped the statement. “For everything they’ve put me through- US through- I’ll be sure to pay them back a thousand times; if you wish to bow to them, I will simply cut you down as well.”

“That… woman… that human woman…” Her chest heaved, barely able to focus her mind on her words as it fought against an unrelenting surge of torturous agony. “You… you’re following her… being her little puppet...”

She only just held back a sob as her torso was pulled upwards and his voice took on a vicious snarl. “ENOUGH! She showed me how strong she was the day you left! Our goals align so I will fight with her until she proves herself to no longer be an asset to the White Fang!”

“S-so… that just makes you… just makes you a coward, huh?”

The moment that rage broke out across his face was exactly what she had been waiting for.

As he drew his hand back, likely about to punch her into unconsciousness, she launched herself off the ground with a clone, heels clattering against the chandelier above them as she pushed off. The loud creak that followed was all the warning Adam got as the metal structure crashed down onto him.

At the sound of his aura breaking gave her strength as she shot forwards, her mind taking no time to consider the moral implications as she struck out her cleaver directly at his throat.

A clatter. A moment later, she was being held up by her throat. Then, with a scream of rage, he threw her body down onto the stone floor.

The yelp she let out was nowhere near enough to convey the excruciating pain that overcame her, her own aura dissipating at the impact. It felt like her bones shattered apart, yet the fact that it didn’t fade was little comfort. All it told her was that nothing was fractured, somehow, but her vision went white for a second, giving her only enough time to panic before the foot came crashing down again, this time on her stomach.

She could only wriggle futilely under his weight as he screamed down now incomprehensible words at her. Her vision blurred. Ringing overtook her hearing before the words faded back in, ramblings that she had heard thousands of times in the past.

The pain stopped for a moment. Adam had looked up.

Her mind stranded itself, trying to understand why he’d suddenly stopped, only to pick out the distant cries just barely surpassing the howling of the inferno.

“BLAAAKE!!!”

_Yang…_

“BLAKE! ARE YOU THERE?!”

_Weiss…_

Then, slowly turned back down to the brunette, Adam’s expression split into a disturbing smile.

_No…_

This time, she was not able to stop the tears from leaving her eyes. She didn’t have any strength left to stop them. To stop HIM.

_NO!_

 

* * *

 

“Damn it!” Yang growled, swiveling her head as she checked the next hallway. “Where is she?!”

“You don’t think we missed her? Maybe she already left; this place IS starting to come down.” Weiss panted, holding onto the corner of the wall as she followed the blonde through the smoky labyrinth of rumble.

Her teammate looked back at her, arching an eyebrow. “You really think Blake would leave before she’s evacuated everyone? I know we haven’t seen anyone yet, but that means she’s probably making round trips. We’re bound to catch her soon; she’d double-check at least a dozen times, even with the fire.”

The heiress looked down at her soot-covered skirt, tugging down on it.

_That does seem like something she’d do, huh?_

For only a second, her mind began to think for the worst.

_W-what if… what if she’s gotten hurt and-_

“Weiss.”

A hand came up and dried away a tear she hadn’t even realize was falling. Looking up, her eyes saw red, black and white, the three bandanas wrapped around Yang’s shoulder.

The brawler’s voice came out soft and encouraging, her lips offering a small, comforting smile.

“It’s alright. I’m worried about her too. She’ll be alright, I promise.”

Her eyes stung. Whether it was from the smoke or the tears, Weiss wasn’t sure. She brought up her wrist and wiped her eyes, trying to hold down the sob in her throat.

_She’s right. There’s no time for that. I’m here to help save her, not cry over what MIGHT have happened._

“Okay.” She breathed.

She paused for a second.

“Okay.” She repeated, this time more for herself than to confirm her last words. “Right. Which way should we go next?”

Relief shone through lavender eyes. “Well, if she’s clearing out people, she’s probably already gotten everyone out of the main hall, so I think we should check-“

A shriek pierced the air.

The blood in her veins ran cold.

_T-that’s-_

In a single movement, both girls bolted back towards the room where the noise had come from.

She only just barely managed to stabilize herself against Yang at the sight she met.

A man, horns protruding from his skull and clearly affiliated with the White Fang by his tell-tale mask, stood with one foot on top of Blake. In his hand, he held an enormous red blade; blood dripped from the end onto the Faunus girl, a red pool already surrounding her. The glimpse of amber she saw showed terror.

_No._

_NO!_

The pain she’d been holding back exploded through her. Myrtenaster’s steel dug into her grip, or rather, her grip dug into ITS steel. At least, that’s what it felt like. Her mind was spinning and a barrage of emotions overcame her all at once.

Shock. Disbelief. Horror.

…ANGER.

The blood rushing through her ears muffled whatever Yang yelled at the man, but even as she drew out her rapier in front of her, ready to eviscerate the monster standing before her, her hand came up to block the blaze that erupted from the blonde.

Before she knew it, Yang launched herself, a raging fireball, at their opponent. The one who had just stabbed her partner. Tears hung in the corners of her blood-red eyes and her arm was pulled back as though she was about to punch a hole through his chest.

The sound of metal shearing flesh filled the air.

Weiss could only look on as her friend crashed to the ground on the other side of the man. Her right arm, separated from her body, landed beside her, all three of the cloths wrapped around it shredded by the force of the slash.

Numbness overtook the heiress’s body. Her mind tried its hardest to understand what just happened, but something blocked it.

_Some…_

_Something…_

_…I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!_

She wasn’t sure how, but the next moment vanished from her memory. She felt her body strike at something, but when she came to, she found herself crossing her weapon with his. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but her lips were pulled back in a fierce snarl. A glyph stood between them, holding the countering strike back.

The only thing that could be read from her opponent’s expression with the pleased smile that formed.

The rage that filled her overtook her senses. She could feel herself thrashing at him, Myrtenaster lunging forwards, sweeping in from the side and glancing off steel. She felt her fingers twisting, forming glyphs she didn’t know the purpose of.

_SUMMON._

_SUMMON SOMETHING!_

Then there was an impact.

Not by her, but of her own body against a surface.

For less than a second, everything went red. Then, the blurs started to form into shapes.

Her fingers wrapped themselves around something.

_Feels… feels like strands…_

Whatever the strands were, they seemed to be yellow.

_Yellow…_

_YANG._

She jolted up at the wet feeling that her arm found. She brought it up to her face.

_RED._

She was lying on top of Yang.

Her body was shaking, but she forced herself to look up at the footsteps approaching.

_Red…_

_…Adam._

Her hand felt for Myrtenaster, though her mind knew full well that she didn’t have the strength or focus to wield it with any skill.

Her vision faded to black again.

No… it wasn’t a fade…

_…Blake…_

There was something, some sort of noise. Adam’s mouth was moving, though the words didn’t form correctly in her ears. Whatever he said, and whatever the rustling wind that followed was, she didn’t even try to understand. She was too busy trying to help Blake hold Yang up as they quickly hauled their unconscious friend out of the building.

…

“And you’re SURE you haven’t seen them since?”

“What? Ruby, I know you’re their leader but I’m serious; they’ve been gone since Yang took off with Weiss to look for Blake. She said she’d be back soon but I couldn’t tell you when that’ll be.”

The anger in the cloaked leader’s face faded as her head dropped. She balled her fists, trying to find some way to release her frustration. Sun didn’t need to deal with her right now.

She HAD to find them.

She brought her head back up.

 _They’re my_ _TEAM, I can’t just stand here and-_

Her mind went blank.

As the monkey Faunus watched the younger girl tense up, he turned to follow her gaze, only to recoil in horror.

Approaching the docks were the remaining members of Team RWBY. All three were covered in dirt and blood, Blake, holding the blonde’s right side, more so than the other two. Weiss looked like she was about to faint, struggling to hold up her friend’s weight. But then, there was Yang. Armless from above the elbow and still losing blood.

Ruby’s legs gave out. She wasn’t sure how she recognized Coco and Nora as she fell back into their grasps, the older girls desperately trying to calm her down. She recognized Ren’s voice as the boy barked out orders at his friends as he ran to grab a first aid kit from the medical tent set up at the docks. Neptune and Fox rolled out a blanket on the ground as Yatsuhashi, Velvet and Sun guided the three girls onto it.

Silver eyes squeezed shut as her vision filled with colors flying in every direction, Ren’s shouting blending into a loud roaring noise as she felt herself quaking, though she wasn’t sure if it was the ground that was shaking or her own body.

 

* * *

 

**My goal is to wrap this up before August. I don’t want to rush anything, as I feel that I’m already losing writing quality (possibly an accurate statement, possibly not) but I also don’t want to lose the rest of the ideas that I’ve got for these last two chapters while they’re still fresh in my mind.**


	29. End of the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**Volume 3, Chapter 12, 'End of the Beginning'**

* * *

 

Weiss was really starting to get tired of waking up in pain.

As she stirred, her hand worked its way to her forehead, only to find a large cloth wrapping in the way. Pushing herself up, she jolted when a hand came over her stomach and pushed her back down.

"Shhh. Don't move too much, Weiss."

The heiress strained to recognize the voice. The tone was sad but relieved. Anxious but calm.

She was surprised to find that she hadn't realized it was her own partner's voice immediately.

"Ruby… what… what happened?"

"Well, uh, I think that's supposed to be my line. I can't explain something I wasn't there for."

There was a twinge of humor mixed in with a little… frustration?

_Was she angry that I-_

Her eyes flew open.

_YANG. BLAKE._

"RUBY. RUBY, WHERE ARE THEY?" Her breathing picked up quickly as her leader took her hand, silver eyes clouded with shock and worry. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YANG, RUBY? W-WHAT HAPPENED TO HER AND BLAKE?! ARE THEY-"

"Weiss, please calm down."

Something touched her shoulder and her gasping slowed. Everything numbed; the realization of that disturbed her mind. She fought to move out of her teammate's grasp as she tried to push away the force blocking her emotions but it easily won out. She screwed her eyes shut again and let out a whimper.

"It's okay, Weiss. They're going to be… well, they aren't going to die."

_That's Ren's voice…_

Slowly, she turned her head to look for its source, only for her eyes to ghost over Blake.

Her girlfriend was covered in dirt and blood. She was facing away, legs curled to her stomach and black hair more disheveled than usual. A massive bandage was secured around her stomach; dried blood stained the linen. Her bow twitched every now and then; evidently, her mind wasn't focusing on keeping her secret safe.

It took her a second to realize that their hands were intertwined.

"I… w-what-" The heiress's voice failed in her throat.

Craning her neck, she could just make out a sliver of gold on the other side of Blake. Tuffs of bloody hair stuck out into her view and part of her already knew what she would see.

Yang Xiao Long, one of the strongest and most incredible person that Weiss had met in her entire life, lay unconscious.

Armless.

Her remaining hand was wrapped tightly around Blake's.

Part of the heiress's mind saw her blonde friend smiling down on her only days before, giving her the encouragement she needed to find faith in herself.

And then…

Nothing but fire. A fire extinguished right before her eyes in one of the most brutal displays of savagery she could remember.

Yet everything still felt numb.

"Pyrrha and Jaune are still out there." Ren's voice returned, followed quickly by a pained groan. The noise came in conjunction with the flow of emotions back into her mind, yet she still felt somewhat calm.

"Then I'll go." Ruby stood, releasing her grip on the snow-haired girl. "I'll go and find them."

Azure shifted over to the cloaked leader. "I'm coming, too." She tried to rise, but this time several pairs of arms held her down.

"No! Weiss, please! You're still hurt!" Ruby's words became frantic, her free arm gesturing towards her older sister. "You can't just run back into the fray like this! You'll-" Her voice was caught for a second, before it warbled on, her fingers wiping away tears that had yet to fall. "You'll get hurt too! It's bad enough that Yang lost her arm and Blake got stabbed; you're probably lucky to have escaped with just a concussion! I don't know what we'd do if you-"

She was cut off by the sound of a glyph emerging. Weiss stared up at her partner, her glare daring her leader to stop her as forced herself from the ground.

"If you go alone, _you'll_ be the one laying on down there." She pointed down at her girlfriend.

Suddenly, Blake's breath hitched.

Something clicked in Weiss's mind and she was instantly on her knees again, running her fingers over the raven-haired girl's body. A wave of shock and horror, somehow familiar, came over her.

_What… what did I just…_

… _Blake…_

… _please be alright._

Ruby stood behind her, fists rolled up and trying to keep herself together. Silver flicked over her maimed sibling every now and then, tearing at her mind, but she held firm. She had to stand strong; that's what a leader does.

Her hand found Weiss's shoulder. "I don't know what we'd do if you got hurt too."

The heiress kneeled, frozen in place. Her gaze shifted between the two figures laying on the ground.

"I'm still going with you. And you're not gonna stop me."

There was a weak sound of protest. Followed by a sigh.

"…fine." Ruby forced out. "Just… please be careful."

With a kiss on the Faunus girl's cheek and the brushing of golden locks from the brawler's face, Weiss slowly stood. Without thought, her hand drew back to the cloths still hanging from the back of her hair, dancing in the wind. Despite the small, worn tears in it, the fabric held strong.

"I will. I promise."

* * *

 

Dark clouds were forming over the city, though Blake couldn't tell if it had something to do with the Grimm's presence or not. Either way, it painted Vale's smoking skyline in a far more melancholy feeling than it had only the night before, even if morning was approaching.

Her bow shifted as she heard footsteps approach from behind her. Amber disappeared and she let out a small breath as arms drew around her stomach, her girlfriend pushing her face into the white ribbon tied behind her head.

"Are you really going to leave without saying goodbye?" Weiss pleaded, her devastated tone only lightly muffled by the black strands falling over her face.

There was silence for a moment, as the breeze picked up a little.

"…it would be too painful."

"It's more painful that you have to leave at all."

" _I know_." The façade Blake had been building broke, her head turning to the side as she tried and failed to keep her voice level. She forced back a hiccup, though the rest of her words still cracked with her voice. "But I have to."

"I know."

The wind hollowed, a faint screech as it blasted through the two girls, neither phased by its sudden force.

"I know that now isn't really the time for this…" Blake could practically hear the tears in her lover's voice, each word a struggle to get out. "…but I want you to know that I'm so glad that I met you. I'm so glad that I had the chance to learn more about the world than what I'd been forced to think since I was a kid. I'm glad that, after all of our struggles, we were still able to have a few moments last night where we made each other happier than we did throughout the rest of the year. Through everything I've suffered, I'd gladly do it all over again if it meant being with you."

Finally, the taller girl turned fully. Her eyes were glazed and she couldn't see well anymore but her vision was good enough to notice that the same clouds were forming in her girlfriend's beautiful eyes.

"…should we kiss?" If she wasn't feeling so awful, Blake's mind would've probably smacked itself for thinking up such a stupid thing to say.

"…no. That would make it feel like we're never going to see each other again." A small, sad smile crossed her lips. "But I'll wait for you. All of us will. When you're ready, when you've done whatever it is you needed to, when you've sorted out your thoughts, all of us will be there with open arms."

An estranged sound escaped Blake's throat. The heiress brought up her hand to wipe away a tear that ran down her companion's face.

"Come down here for a second."

The cat Faunus sat down on her knees, her shimmering eyes squeezed shut, no longer able to look her lover in the eye.

There was movement above her, the ruffling of her bow as fingers spread the fabric apart and the snow-haired girl leaned over. For a few seconds, she pressed a kiss to one of the velvety ears hidden atop her girlfriend's head, pinning the small appendage against her skull.

A glimpsing memory ran through Blake's mind; one of her mother leaning over her and kissing her ear in just the same way when she was still a young child.

Blake's limbs buckled and she collapsed into the other girl, wrapping her arms around Weiss's waist as she fought the urge to cry by digging her nails into the white skirt. She wanted to stay. She really did. But she wanted them to be safe, too. And they couldn't be as long as they were near her, so she had to leave. Leave and make sure the rest of the parts of her life that she cared about were still alright.

Even so, she wanted to stay.

_I want to stay with you forever._

* * *

 

"…Yang?"

The girl in question couldn't bring herself to budge, knowing fully well of the sight of her scared little sister that would greet her from the single word alone. A testament to her own failure; even if it wasn't as permanent as the more obvious one, it hurt just as much.

She would bear no amount of comfort from her younger sibling's pity.

"…yeah?"

The only response she could form.

The blonde didn't look up as arms wrapped around her head, choosing instead to bury her face in Ruby's shoulder. Perhaps it would not help her, but she still had to make sure this kid wasn't suffering too; it was her job as a big sister.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm not _okay_ , Ruby. You know that!"

Though she held back her tone, the red-haired girl still flinched. Maybe it wasn't the best way she could have put it, but…

_DAMN IT! Haven't I been through enough already?_

"I… I know. But, you're here. That's all I can ask for."

"Maybe. But it doesn't make anything hurt any less."

"Then do you need me to get you some-"

"Stop it."

The words silenced the young leader as she gave her sister the space she felt she needed. A lump forming in her throat, she brought up a hand, brushing lightly over the three colored roses perched on her pajama shirt.

Yang finally met her eyes. Her semblance hadn't activated but it was obvious she was holding her temper down.

"Stop trying to make me feel better; it's not going to work." She broke their held gazes as she squeezed her eyes shut before continuing on, her voice breaking. "You saw what happened at Beacon! The school's destroyed and everyone's hurt! We lost some of our closest friends and…"

Her tone faded as she turned towards the window, the late fall having already stripped most of the trees bare; the forest that she and Ruby had played in for years now somehow seemed more haunting than ever before.

She allowed herself to picture her and Ruby, back when they were just barely considered kids, sitting at the cliff where Summer was buried.

"But we still have t-"

"THERE IS NO 'BUT', RUBY!"

This time, the younger girl took a full step back. The glare her sister shot her was unlike anything she'd experienced. It held none of the love and kindness that Yang had always treated her within the blazing red eyes; only rage and impatience.

"'BUT' NOTHING! Weiss's father took her back to Atlas; I doubt we'll ever see her again! We have no way to contact her with Beacon's communications down and we have no way of getting to Atlas since the military closed their borders! And even if we could reach her, what's the point? We talk to her about how awful everything is now? Is that all you want to do? Make everyone feel even worse than they already do?!"

It was clear that the brawler wasn't focusing on her words anymore; she threw out her arm in front of her, trying in vain to express the fury engulfing her.

"And what about Blake? She just up and left us! We don't even know where we could start looking for her because she never told us anything about her past! She never even told Weiss and they were fucking pining after each other for most of the school year! If she can't even trust that kind of information with someone like her girlfriend, then what's the point of considering her if she wants to leave us in the dirt?! We didn't really matter to her, so why should we even bother?!"

Ruby couldn't bring herself to reply. She simply stared on, not wanting the shouting to return.

Furious tears brimmed the blonde's eyes as they faded back to lilac. She let out a snuffle, not able to retain even her frustration after such an outburst.

"Sometimes bad things just _happen_ , Ruby. Sometimes people do the wrong thing and we just have to accept that and move on from them."

It was clear that, despite her awful tone, the blonde didn't want to believe her own words.

"That doesn't mean you should let those things stop you."

There was a second where Yang didn't move before she turned back to her younger sister.

"Bad things may happen, Yang, but they ALWAYS happen for a reason. We just don't always know what that reason is." There was a fault in her voice, something suggesting that she was also trying to convince herself of the words, but she forged on. "The fact that we don't always know what we'll encounter never stopped us before; it just made us go even further! We'll find Weiss and Blake and all of our friends and…"

She took a step back into the room, only to realize she didn't quite know what else they need to do.

Yang shook her head, clearly struggling to accept anything she was hearing.

"And what kind of teammate am I without my arm?" She let a wary eye wander over her sister, taking in the three roses still pinned to her chest, before moving over to the bandaged stump at her side. "I even lost our promise ribbons, Ruby! I feel like I've lost even more than just my arm without them."

"But those pieces of cloth aren't as important as what they represent!" Her younger sibling countered, hand clutching at her chest. "They're only symbols of the bonds that actually exist. I know you lost them, but you have to realize that that shouldn't be enough to break the real connections."

Yang's gaze returned to her red-haired leader. "You're sure?"

The smile that was returned wasn't pitying but still emotional. "Of course." There was a small dip in the tone as Ruby fought back more tears, but she held herself up. "Because that's what love is. It's companionship; knowledge that those who we trust will trust us in return, so that we can work together and bring ourselves further despite everything. So that we can keep moving forward. I know because it's what I felt about you three since the first days at Beacon."

This time, the brawler didn't reply. She simply sat back in her bed, head turning until she faced the window again.

The younger girl's expression fell. Part of her wanted to say something but she thought better of it and turned to leave. Before she left the room, she uttered back, "I love you, sis."

Again, there was no reply.

After a few seconds, Yang turned back, staring at the empty spot in the doorway.

* * *

 

**One more chapter to go. Think of it as an epilogue; I ended up axing the sequel to this because I felt I should wait until I have more talent writing villains (and more writing talent in general) before I delve into Volumes 4 and 5. And because I had issues with what I was planning on writing.**

**Plus, it would've been two volumes of Weiss and Blake lamenting over not being able to see each other, which I felt could be more easily conveyed in an epilogue format.**

 


	30. Away and Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, of which I am not a part of.

**The last chapter, huh? I hope that everyone that has made it this far enjoyed!**

**These were the most important scenes of the sequel.**

**_Well, okay, at least in regards to our couple._ **

**This chapter is not actually based on an episode, but rather is supposed to be between Volume 3 and Volume 6. Epilogue: Away and Here**

* * *

 

_The image of a young girl with jet-black hair falling into the mist below caused her mind to spring into action. She shot out two fingers, sending out a glyph for the other huntress-in-training to land on and jump, slicing into the side of the giant Nevermore several times, scaling its spine before landing next to her._

" _Thanks!"_

_Weiss's throat closed. She'd never seen someone fight so elegantly; at least, someone that wasn't related to her. Or that simply WAS her._

_The heiress's vision scanned over the brunette, taking in her form. In one word, she was stunning. In many, well, that wasn't possible because of the aforementioned shock._

_The ruins lurched for a second and everything around her started to fade into darkness. Suddenly, the black-haired girl was approaching her and Weiss began to recognize who she was staring at. Someone who was very near and dear to her heart, though she couldn't remember their name, for some reason._

_The taller girl bent over, her lips pursed._

_Weiss drew in her breath and moved to close the gap._

She awake gasping, clutching the pillow at her head.

"Again, huh?"

Her voice shook, echoing quietly through the room with a question directed at nobody in particular.

Part of her didn't feel the energy to move. Ever since her father disinherited her, she felt like her dreams had been forever shattered. Gone were her chances to escape his clutches, to create a legacy that would bury his misdeeds and truly build upon her grandfather's honor.

And even then, who could she share it with?

After a few minutes, lying almost still, she forced herself off the side of her bed, making her way to her dresser. Pulling open the top drawer, she gazed upon the four tokens she'd managed to save from Beacon.

Myrtenaster sat on its pedestal. She drew it up, refusing to acknowledge her reflection in the mirror behind it, the glass still cracked. Inspecting its luster and judging it flawless, she moved her beloved weapon to its spot at her hip before returning her attention to the other three treasures.

Looking over the colored streamers sitting together, she picked up the black one, still tattered and torn yet just as perfect to her as the day she bought it. Grabbing the other two, she drew all three behind her head and started working them into her hair, pulling out her ponytail and wrapping them in as she had for months now, finishing with the black bow tied at the base.

_No. I won't give up on you guys._

_I'll never give up, not until I see you again._

_I just want to remind her…_

* * *

 

The ocean was oddly calm that morning, especially since the captain had warned passengers of coming storms just a few days ago. The clouds had vanished and the sun shone upon the craft, air thick with the smell of salt and sunscreen.

Unlike some of the other passengers, Blake wasn't here on a relaxing cruise. No, she was finally going home. Her real home, in Menagerie. With her loose ends in Vale tied, she could finally see the most important people in her life again.

_Well, some of them, at least._

She unwrapped her white ribbon, still sitting atop her head as it had for far too long, wiggling her upper appendages for the first time in months. In a ruined city, there was no need to hide her heritage, but Blake had felt too attached to it to move it.

Unconsciously, her other hand pulled out the black ribbon still behind her head, bringing the two together in front of herself.

Extending her arm out, the monochromatic silk flapped in the breeze. A glimpse of gold appeared in the corner of her vision and she looked away from the yellow cloth, only to find her sight now filled with the red one.

She heaved out a sigh.

_No, I can't do this._

_I won't give them up, even if I feel like I already have._

There was a part of her that knew what she'd done was wrong. A part that was always shut down by the unimaginable guilt that followed her since the battle. The image of Yang, amputated and lying in comatose next to her. The image of Weiss, bruised and battered, head bandaged yet still trying to calm _her_ down. And the image of her leader being carried away by her own uncle.

She always tried to suppress the thought that the cloaked girl hadn't made it. She knew Ruby was strong.

Where else could she go but home, now? Even if she COULD stand to face her team again, where would she go? Patch wasn't accepting refugees anymore (she doubted showing up while laying low would put either of the sisters in a good mood) and even if she managed to sneak her way through the fortress known as Atlas, was she, a former member of the Faunus terrorist organization that just helped destroy Beacon, really going to risk infiltrating the _Schnee Dust Company_ Mansion?

She loved Weiss. With all her heart. But Winter would probably run her through the moment they locked eyes.

The brunette cringed.

If she ever saw the older Schnee sibling again…

_I'm dead, huh?_

_Well, no point in mulling over the impossible._

She drew her hands back, tying the black and white ribbons back in the black ribbon's former spot. This time, though, she wove the two pieces of cloth together, a new black and white bow holding strands together, ears still standing proudly atop her head for the world to see.

A knot formed in her stomach.

… _she has people who care…_

_Yes. And because of you three, I'll push on._

_For you._

* * *

 

There was a moment as their visions fell upon each other. After the dust had settled, as everyone else pulled themselves from the ground. The world around them, important as it was, seemed to fall away as their focuses linked together.

Blake made to say something, but it came out as a muffled squeak as she was nearly barreled over by Weiss jumping into her embrace, a trail of glyphs still shining on the path between where they'd been standing apart. It was an unceremonious crashing together of lips, but to the larger girl, she couldn't care less; the two of them were together again and she would never let go as she wrapped her arms around the other girl's back.

As the kiss ended, Weiss looked up, looking ready to start crying. "I can't believe you're actually here."

Orbs clouded with emotion stared back. Blake moved her head down to reignite the kiss.

…only to get a harsh pinch on the nose.

The Faunus girl pulled back, rubbing it while letting out a whine, upper ears pinned to her head.

" _That's_ for breaking our promise." The former heiress huffed, her eyes straying up to the Faunus ears for a second before refocusing on the ones looking back in shock, trying desperately to hide her elation.

"I hope that's the worst of it, then." Blake winced, checking her face with her hand to make sure she wasn't bleeding. "That really hurt, you know." She glared with only half-hearted agitation.

Weiss rolled her eyes, her lips tugging upwards. "I- look. I'm sorry. I just…" She trailed off as she drew her taller girlfriend in and held her lightly, letting her eyes flutter shut.

"I really missed you, damn it."

Blake couldn't find the words to say, so she simply returned the hug, her own eyes closing as well and pressing a feather-light kiss to her forehead.

"I know, but now that I'm back, I'll never leave your side again."

She drew back as a hand came up and gripped her bow. Azure started up at her, edges stinging with tears.

"Promise? For real, this time?"

The Faunus's hand took the twin bow, wholly black rather than light mingling with darkness. She managed a smile somehow, despite her own amber eyes welling up.

' _Promise.'_

* * *

 

**My first fanfic, 4 and a half months, 30 whole chapters and around 90k words and we're finally done. I don't feel like its perfect, but I expect that my work was, at the very least, in the range of 'good enough'.**

**Maybe I'm just being humble, though ;)**

**I want to thank everyone for following along with my story. To everyone who left nice reviews and will continue to. To Donesses for giving me the courage to keep going. And to WeissColdGlare for inspiring me to start this in the first place. Sure, it all started from a bit of shenanigans, but I'm still glad that I made it.** **Of course, if you liked this fic, feel free to leave a review/comment on this fic, since I'll be checking back regularly (though I can only really effectively reply to comments on AO3; I believe you can post comments even if you are a guest).**

**Just a heads up, I'm gonna take a break. My next fic will come at some undetermined point, likely around September. I plan on writing a short one-shot for an AU idea that merendinoemiliano asked for on one of my other fics (I don't have much details beyond 'the Schnees are Polar Bear Faunus' so we'll see how that goes) before moving onto a more ambitious project (though I doubt I'll be writing another 30-chapter fic anytime soon). I have a few RWBY crossover ideas planned out (most of them involve Monochrome and some examples of said crossover shows include Phoenix Wright and Code Lyoko, though I'll only be using RWBY characters in those universes) and a couple more miscellaneous AUs and ideas wrapped in there, including one that doesn't even involve RWBY. At the very least, I can promise to have a chapter out by Halloween 2018, since I also have a RWBY horror fic fleshed out which I will definitely release at the end of October. I'd also like to write a Freezerburn or Bee's Schnees story at some point; if anyone has a good idea of either, please feel free to message me either on my account or on Tumblr (you can use my asks, whether you have an account or not). You can provide as many details as you want, but be aware that it might sit on the shelf for a considerable amount of time.**

**To answer PurpleElement's review about a possible sequel, I doubt it will happen anytime soon, _if at all_. I wouldn't hold your breath; if I DO ever decide to come back to this, I'd expect that fic to be _years_ down the line, rather than months. The main thing stopping me from writing it is skill level, lack of knowledge of some of the characters that are involved and general belief that such an undertaking is still out of my realm of creativity at this time; I'd much rather do some short projects for now. I will try to keep that point about 'adding a notification chapter to this fic if I do' in mind, though, if possible.**

**Once again, thanks everyone! I hope you all enjoyed and I promise I'll be back some day.**


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